LIBRARY 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

SANTA  BARBARA 


PRESENTED  BY 
MRS. 

ERIC  SCHMIDT 


oCiA/iCi,  luc^J^  ifh-u.p- 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2007  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/dailystrengthforOOtileiala 


Daily  Strength  for  Daily  Needs 


Daily    Strength 

for  Daily  Needs 


Selected  by 

Mary  W.  Tileston 

Editor  of  "Joy  and  Strength  for  the  Pilgrim's 
Day,"  etc. 


«•  As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be ' 


Boston 

Little,  Brown,  and  Company 

1913 


Copyright,  1884,  IQOI, 
By  Mary  W.  Tileston. 


ji/l  rights  rtstrvii 


^rfnttrs 
S.  J.  Parkhili.  &  Co.,  Boston.  U.S.A. 


PREFACE 

**  I  '*HIS  little  book  of  brief  selections  in  prose 
and  verse,  with  accompanying  texts  of 
Scripture,  is  intended  for  a  daily  companion  and 
counsellor.  These  words  of  the  goodly  fellow- 
ship of  wise  and  holy  men  of  many  times,  it  is 
hoped  may  help  to  strengthen  the  reader  to 
perform  the  duties  and  to  bear  the  burdens 'of 
each  day  with  cheerfulness  and  courage. 

MARY  WILDER  TILESTON. 


January  i  i 

They    go   from    strength     to    strength.  —  Ps. 
Ixxxiv.  7. 

First  the  hlade^  then  the  ear.,  after  that  the  full 
corn  in  the  ear.  —  Mark  iv.  28. 


Build  thee  more  stately  mansions,  O  my  soul, 

As  the  swift  seasons  roll  ! 

Leave  thy  low-vauhed  past  ! 
Let  each  new  temple,  nobler  than  the  last, 
Shut  thee  from  heaven  with  a  dome  more  vast, 

Till  thou  at  length  art  free, 
Leaving  thine  outgrown  shell  by  life's  unresting  sea  ! 

O.  W.  Holmes. 


HIGH  hearts  are  never  long  without  hear- 
ing some  new  call,  some  distant  clarion 
of  God,  even  in  their  dreams ;  and  soon 
they  are  observed  to  break  up  the  camp  of  ease, 
and  start  on  some  fresh  march  of  faithful  ser- 
vice. And,  looking  higher  still,  we  find  those 
who  never  wait  till  their  moral  work  accumu- 
lates, and  who  reward  resolution  with  no  rest ; 
with  whom,  therefore,  the  alternation  is  instan- 
taneous and  constant ;  who  do  the  good  only  to| 
see  the  better,  and  see  the  better  only  to  achieve » 
it ;  who  are  too  meek  for  transport,  too  faithful 
for  remorse,  too  earnest  for  repose ;  whose  wor- 
ship is  action,  and  whose  action  ceaseless  aspira- 
tion. 

J.   Martineau. 


2  January  2 

The  Lord  shall  preserve  thy  going  out  and  thy 
coming  in  from  this  time  forth^  and  even  for  ever- 
morf:  —  Ps.  cxxi.  8. 

Lord^  Thou  hast  been  our  dwelling-place  in  all 
generations.  —  Ps.  xc.  i . 


With  grateful  hearts  the  past  we  own  ; 
The  future,  all  to  us  unknown, 
We  to  Thy  guardian  care  commit, 
And  peaceful  leave  before  Thy  feet. 

P.  Doddridge- 


WE  are  like  to  Him  with  whom  there  is 
no  past  or  future,  with  whom  a  day 
is  as  a  thousand  years,  and  a  thousand 
years  as  one  day,  when  we  do  our  work  in  the 
great  present,  leaving  both  past  and  future  to 
Him  to  whom  they  are  ever  present,  and  fearing 
nothing,  because  He  is  in  our  future  as  much  as 
He  is  in  our  past,  as  much  as,  and  far  more  than 
we  can  feel  Him  to  be,  in  our  present.  Par- 
takers thus  of  the  divine  nature,  resting  in  that 
perfect  All-in-all  in  whom  our  nature  is  eternal 
too,  we  walk  without  fear,  full  of  hope  and 
courage  and  strength  to  do  His  will,  waiting  for 
the  endless  good  which  He  is  always  giving  as 
fast  as  He  can  get  us  able  to  take  it  in. 

G.    Macdonald. 


January  3  3 

As  thy  days,  so  shall  thy  strength  be.  —  Deut. 
xxxiii.  25. 

Sufficient   unto   the  day  is   the   evil  thereof.  — 
Matt.  vi.  34. 


Oh,  ask  not  thou,  How  shall  I  bear 

The  burden  of  to-morrow  ? 
Sufficient  for  to-day,  its  care, 

Its  evil  and  its  sorrow  ; 
God  imparteth  by  the  way 
Strength  sufficient  for  the  day. 

J.   E.   Saxby. 


HE  that  hath  so  many  causes  of  joy,  and  so 
great,  is  very  much  in  love  with  sorrow 
and    peevishness,    who    loses    all     these 
pleasures,  and  chooses  to  sit  down  upon  his  little^ 
handful  of  thorns.     Enjoy  the  blessings  of  this^ 
day,  if  God  sends  them  ;  and  the  evils  of  it  bear' 
patiently  and  sweetly  :   for  this  day  only  is  ours, 
we  are  dead  to  yesterday,  and  we  are  not  yet( 
born  to  the  morrow.      But  if  we  look  abroad, ( 
and  bring  into  one  day's  thoughts  the  evil  of 
many,  certain  and   uncertain,  what  will  be  and 
what  will  never  be,  our  load  will  be  as  intoler-i 
able  as  it  is  unreasonable. 

Jeremy  Taylor. 


4  January  4 

If  we  sin^  we  are  Thine ^  knowing  Thy  power : 
hut  we  will  not  sin^  knowing  that  we  are  counted 
^rhine.  For  to  know  Thee  is  perfect  righteousness  : 
yea^  to  know  Thy  power  is  the  root  of  immortality. 
—  Wisdom  of  Solomon  xv.  2,  3. 


'j  Oh,  empty  us  of  self,  the  world,  and  sin, 
And  then  in  all  Thy  fulness  enter  in  ; 
Take  full  possession.  Lord,  and  let  each  thought 
Into  obedience  unto  Thee  be  brought  ; 
Thine  is  the  power,  and  Thine  the  will,  that  we 
Be  wholly  sanctified,  O  Lord,  to  Thee. 

C.  E.  J. 


TAKE  steadily  some  one  sin,  which  seems 
to  stand  out  before  thee,  to  root  it  out, 
by  God's  grace,  and  every  fibre  of  it. 
Purpose  strongly,  by  the  grace  and  strength  of 
God,  wholly  to  sacrifice  this  sin  or  sinful  in- 
clination to  the  love  of  God,  to  spare  it  not, 
until  thou  leave  of  it  none  remaining,  neither 
root  nor  branch. 

Fix,  by  God's  help,  not  only  to  root  out  this 
sin,  but  to  set  thyself  to  gain,  by  that  same  help, 
the  opposite  grace.  If  thou  art  tempted  to  be 
angry,  try  hard,  by  God's  grace,  to  be  very 
meek ;  if  to  be  proud,  seek  to  be  very  humble. 

E.     B.    PUSEY. 


y 


January  5  5 

'That  He  might  present  it  to  Himself  a  glorious 
churchy  not  having  spot,  or  wrinkle,  or  any  such 
thing;  but  that  it  should  be  holy  and  without 
blemish.  —  Eph.  v.  27. 

Te  also,  as  lively  stones,  are  built  up  a  spiritual 
house.  —  I  Peter  ii.  5. 

One  holy  Church  of  God  appears 

Through  every  age  and  race, 
Unwasted  by  the  lapse  of  years, 

Unchanged  by  changing  place. 

S.  Longfellow, 

A  TEMPLE  there  has  been  upon  earth,  a 
spiritual  Temple,  made  up  of  living 
stones  ;  a  Temple,  as  I  may  say,  com- 
posed of  souls ;  a  Temple  with  God  for  its  light, 
and  Christ  for  the  high  priest ;  with  wings  of 
angels  for  its  arches,  with  saints  and  teachers  for 
its  pillars,  and  with  worshippers  for  its  pave- 
ment. Wherever  there  is  faith  and  love,  this 
Temple  is.  J.  H.  Newman. 

To  whatever  worlds  He  carries  our  souls  when 
they  shall  pass  out  of  these  imprisoning  bodies, 
in  those  worlds  these  souls  of  ours  shall  find 
themselves  part  of  the  same  great  Temple;  for 
it  belongs  not  to  this  earth  alone.  There  can,l 
be  no  end  of  the  universe  where  God  is,  to 
which  that  growing  Temple  does  not  reach,  — 
the  Temple  of  a  creation  to  be  wrought  at  last  ^ 
into  a  perfect  utterance  of  God  by  a  perfect 
obedience  to  God.  Phillips  Brooks. 


6  January  6 

In  all  ages  entering  into  holy  souls ^  she  \JVis- 
doni\  maketh  them  friends  of  God^  and  prophets.  — 
Wisdom  of  Solomon  vii.  27. 

Meanwhile  with  every  son  and  saint  of  Thine 

Along  the  glorious  line, 
Sitting  by  turns  beneath  Thy  sacred  feet 

We  '11  hold  communion  sweet, 
Know  them  by  look  and  voice,  and  thank  them  all 

For  helping  us  in  thrall, 
For  words  of  hope,  and  bright  examples  given 
To  shew  through  moonless  skies  that  there  is  light  in 
heaven.  J.  Keble. 

IF  we  cannot  live  at  once  and  alone  with  Him, 
we  may  at  least  live  with  those  who  have 
lived  with  Him  ;  and  find,  in  our  admiring 
love  for  their  purity,  their  truth,  their  goodness, 
an  intercession  with  His  pity  on  our  behalf. 
To  study  the  lives,  to  meditate  the  sorrows,  to 
commune  with  the  thoughts,  of  the  great  and 
holy  men  and  women  of  this  rich  world,  is  a 
sacred  discipline,  which  deserves  at  least  to  rank 
as  the  forecourt  of  the  temple  of  true  worship, 
and  may  train  the  tastes,  ere  we  pass  the  very 
gate,  of  heaven.  We  forfeit  the  chief  source  of 
dignity  and  sweetness  in  life,  next  to  the  direct) 
communion  with  God,  if  we  do  not  seek  con- 
verse with  the  greater  minds  that  have  left  theirj 
vestiges  on  the  world.  J,  Martineau. 

I  Do  not  think  it  wasted  time  to  submit  your- 
iself  to  any  influence  which  may  bring  upon  you 
I  any  noble  feeling.  J.  Ruskin. 


January  7  7 

The  exceeding  greatness  of  His  power  to  us~ 
ward  who  believe^  according  to  the  working  of  His 
mighty  power. — Eph.  i.  19. 


The  lives  which  seem  so  poor,  so  low, 

The  hearts  which  are  so  cramped  and  dull. 

The  baffled  hopes,  the  impulse  slow, 
Thou  takcst,  touchest  all,  and  lo  ! 

They  blossom  to  the  beautiful. 

Susan  Coolidge. 


A  ROOT  set  in  the  finest  soil,  in  the  best 
climate,  and  blessed  with  all  that  sun 
and  air  and  rain  can  do  for  it,  is  not  in 
so  sure  a  way  of  its  growth  to  perfection,  as 
every  man  may  be,  whose  spirit  aspires  after  all 
that  which  God  is  ready  and  infinitely  desirous 
to  give  him.  For  the  sun  meets  not  the  spring- 
ing bud  that  stretches  towards  him  with  half 
that  certainty,  as  God,  the  source  of  all  good, 
communicates  Himself  to  the  soul  that  longs  to 
partake  of  Him. 

Wm.  Law. 

If  we  stand  in  the  openings  of  the  present 
moment,  with  all  the  length  and  breadth  of  our 
faculties  unselfishly  adjusted  to  what  it  reveals, 
we  are  in  the  best  condition  to  receive  what  God 
is  always  ready  to  communicate. 

T.  C  Upham. 


] 


8  January  H 

As  we  have  therefore  opportunity^  let  us  do  good 
unto  all  men.  —  Gal.  vi.  lO. 

Let  brotherly  love  continue.  —  Heb.  xiii.  I. 

I  ASK  Thee  for  a  thoughtful  love, 
Through  constant  watching  wise, 

To  meet  the  glad  with  joyful  smiles. 
And  to  wipe  the  weeping  eyes, 

And  a  heart  at  leisure  from  itself, 
To  soothe  and  sympathize. 

A.  L.  Waring. 

SURELY  none  are  so  full  of  cares,  or  so 
poor  in  gifts,  that  to  them  also,  waiting 
patiently  and  trustfully  on  God  for  His 
daily  commands,  He  will  not  give  direct  ministry 
for  Him,  increasing  according  to  their  strength 
and  their  desire.  There  is  so  much  to  be  set 
right  in  the  world,  there  are  so  many  to  be  led 
and  helped  and  comforted,  that  we  must  con- 
tinually come  in  contact  with  such  in  our  daily 
life.  Let  us  only  take  care,  that,  by  the  glance  J 
being  turned  inward,  or  strained  onward,  or  lost 
in  vacant  reverie,  we  do  not  miss  our  turn  of 
service,  and  pass  by  those  to  whom  we  might 
have  been  sent  on  an  errand  straight  from  God.- 

Elizabeth  Charles. 

Look  up  and  not  down  ;  look  forward  and  not 
back  \  look  out  and  not  in  ;  and  lend  a  hand. 

Edward  E.  Hale. 


January  g 


And  in  every  work  that  he  began  in  the  service 
of  the  house  of  God^  and  in  the  law.,  and  in  the 
commandments.,  to  seek  his  God.,  he  did  it  with  all 
his  heart.,  and  prospered.  —  2   Chron.  xxxi.  2I0 

What  shall  we  do.,  that  we  might  work  the 
works  of  God?  —  John  vi.  28. 

(  Give  me  within  the  work  which  calls  to-day, 
(_^To  see  Thy  finger  gently  beckoning  on  ; 
So  struggle  grows  to  freedom,  work  to  play. 
And  toils  begun  from  Thee  to  Thee  are  done. 

J.  F.  Clarke. 


GOD  is  a  kind  Father.  He  sets  us  all  in 
the  places  where  He  wishes  us  to  be  em- 
ployed ;  and  that  employment  is  truly 
"  our  Father's  business."  He  chooses  work  for 
every  creature  which  will  be  delightful  to  them, 
if  they  do  it  simply  and  humbly.  He  gives  us 
always  strength  enough,  and  sense  enough,  for 
what  He  wants  us  to  do;  if  we  either  tire  our- 
selves or  puzzle  ourselves,  it  is  our  own  fault. 
And  we  may  always  be  sure,  whatever  we  are 
doing,  that  we  cannot  be  pleasing  Him,  if  we 
are  not  happy  ourselves. 

J.    RUSKIN. 


lo  January  lo 

Because  Thy  loving-kindness  is  better  than  life^ 
my  lips  shall  praise  Thee,  —  Ps.  Ixiii.  3. 

Whosoever  shall  seek  to  save  his  life  shall  lose 
it ;  and  whosoever  shall  lose  his  life  shall  preserve 
it.  —  Luke  xvii.  33. 

O  Lord  !  my  best  desires  fulfil, 

And  help  me  to  resign 
Life,  health,  and  comfort,  to  Thy  will, 

And  make  Thy  pleasure  mine. 

Wm,   Cowper. 

WHAT  do  our  heavy  hearts  prove  but 
that  other  things  are  sweeter  to  us 
than  His  will,  that  we  have  not  at- 
tained to  the  full  mastery  of  our  true  freedom, 
the  full  perception  of  its  power,  that  our  sonship 
is  yet  but  faintly  realized,  and  its  blessedness 
not  yet  proved  and  known  ?  Our  consent 
would  turn  all  our  trials  into  obedience.  By 
consenting  we  make  them  our  own,  and  offer 
them  with  ourselves  again  to  Him. 

H.   E.   Manning. 

^s^OTHiNG  is  intolerable  that  is  necessary?) 
Now  God  hath  bound  thy  trouble  upon  thee, 
with  a  design  to  try  thee,  and  with  purposes  to 
reward  and  crown  thee.  These  cords  thou 
canst  not  break ;  and  therefore  lie  thou  down 
gently,  and  suffer  the  hand  of  God  to  do  what 
He  please.  Jeremy  Taylor, 


January  ii  n 


/  will  be  glad^  and  rejoice  in  Thy  mercy :  for 
Thou  hast  considered  my  trouble  ;  Thou  hast  known 
my  soul  in  adversities.  —  Ps.  xxxi.  7. 


Nay,  all  by  Thee  Is  ordered,  chosen,  planned  j 
Each  drop  that  fills  my  daily  cup  Thy  hand 
Prescribes,  for  ills  none  else  can  understand  : 

All,  all  is  known  to  Thee. 

A.  L.  Newton. 


GOD  knows  us  through  and  through.  Not 
the  most  secret  thought,  which  we  most 
hide  from  ourselves,  is  hidden  from  Him. 
As  then  we  come  to  know  ourselves  through 
and  through,  we  come  to  see  ourselves  more  as 
God  sees  us,  and  then  we  catch  some  little 
glimpse  of  His  designs  with  us,  how  each  order- 
ing of  His  Providence,  each  check  to  our  desires, 
each  failure  of  our  hopes,  is  just  fitted  for  us, 
and  for  something  in  our  own  spiritual  state, 
which  others  know  not  of,  and  which,  till  then, 
we  knew  not.  Until  we  come  to  this  knowl- 
edge, we  must  take  all  in  faith,  believing,, 
though  we  know  not,  the  goodness  of  God 
towards  us.  As  we  know  ourselves,  we,  thus 
far,  know  God, 

E.  B.  Pusty. 


12  January  12 

Let  the  words  of  my  mouthy  and  the  meditation 
of  my  hearty  be  acceptable  in  Thy  sight ^  O  Lord^ 
my  strength^  and  my  redeemer.  — Ps.  xix.  14. 

The  thoughts  that  in  our  hearts  keep  place, 
Lord,  make  a  holy,  heavenly  tiirong. 

And  steep  in  innocence  and  grace 
The  issue  of  each  guarded  tongue. 

T.   H.   Gill. 

THERE  is  another  kind  of  silence  to  be 
cultivated,  besides  that  of  the  tongue  as 
regards  others.  I  mean  silence  as  re- 
gards one's  self,  —  restraining  the  imagination, 
not  permitting  it  to  dwell  overmuch  on  what  we 
have  heard  or  said,  not  indulging  in  the  phantas- 
magoria of  picture-thoughts,  whether  of  the  past 
or  future.  Be  sure  that  you  have  made  no 
small  progress  in  the  spiritual  life,  when  you  can 
control  your  imagination,  so  as  to  fix  it  on  the 
duty  and  occupation  actually  existing,  to  the  ex- 
clusion of  the  crowd  of  thoughts  which  are  per- 
petually sweeping  across  the  mind.  No  doubt, 
you  cannot  prevent  those  thoughts  from  arising, 
but  you  can  prevent  yourself  from  dwelling  on 
them  ;  you  can  put  them  aside,  you  can  check 
the  self-complacency,  or  irritation,  or  earthly 
longings  which  feed  them,  and  by  the  practice 
of  such  control  of  your  thoughts  you  will  attain 
that  spirit  of  inward  silence  which  draws  the 
soul  into  a  close  intercourse  with  God. 

Jean  N.   Grov. 


January  13  13 


Speak  not  evil  one  of  another^  brethren.  —  James 
iv.  II. 

Let  all  bitterness^  and  wrath^  and  anger^  and 
clamor^  and  evil  speakings  be  put  away  from  you, 
with  all  malice.  —  Eph.  iv.  31. 


If  aught  good  thou  canst  not  say 
Of  thy  brother,  foe,  or  friend, 
Take  thou,  then,  the  silent  way, 
'     Lest  in  word  thou  shouldst  offend. 

Anon, 


II 


F  there  is  any  person  to  whom  you  feel  dis- 
like, that  is  the  person  of  whom  you  ought 
never  to  speak. 

R.  Cecil. 


To  recognize  with  delight  all  high  and  gener- 
ous and  beautiful  actions ;  to  find  a  joy  even  in 
seeing  the  good  qualities  of  your  bitterest  oppo- 
nents, and  to  admire  those  qualities  even  in 
those  with  whom  you  have  least  sympathy,  this 
IS  the  only  spirit  which  can  heal  the  love  of 
slander  and  of  calumny. 

F.  W.   Robertson. 


14  January  14 

Thy  servants  are  ready  to  do  whatsoever  my  lord 
the  king  shall  appoint.  —  2  Sam.  xv.  15. 


I  LOVE  to  think  that  God  appoints 

My  portion  day  by  day  ; 
Events  of  life  are  in  His  hand. 

And  I  would  only  say, 
Appoint  them  in  Thine  own  good  time, 

And  in  Thine  own  best  way. 

A.  L.  Waring. 


IF  we  are  really,  and  always,  and  equally  ready 
to  do  whatsoever  the  King  appoints,  all  the 
trials  and  vexations  arising  from  any  change 
in  His  appointments,  great  or  small,  simply  do 
not  exist.  If  He  appoints  me  to  work  there, 
shall  I  lament  that  I  am  not  to  work  here  ?  If 
He  appoints  me  to  wait  in-doors  to-day,  am  I  to 
be  annoyed  because  I  am  not  to  work  out-of- 
doors  ?  If  I  meant  to  write  His  messages  this 
morning,  shall  I  grumble  because  He  sends  in- 

[terrupting  visitors,  rich  or  poor,  to  whom  I  am 
to  speak  them,  or  "show  kindness"  for  His 
sake,  or  at  least  obey  His  command,  "  Be  cour- 
teous .^  "  If  all  my  members  are  really  at  His 
disposal,  why  should  I  be  put  out  if  to-day's  ap- 
pointment is  some  simple  work  for  my  hands  or 
errands  for  my  feet,  instead  of  some  seemingly 

I  more  important  doing  of  head  or  tongue? 

F.  R.  Havergal. 


January  15  15 


For  this  is  the  ivill  of  God^  even  your  sancti- 
fication.  —  i  Thess.  iv.  3. 


Between  us  and  Thyself  remove 

Whatever  hindrances  may  be, 
That  so  our  inmost  heart  may  prove 

A  holy  temple,  meet  for  Thee. 

Latin  Mss.  of  15TH  Century. 


BEAR,  in  the  presence  of  God,  to  know 
thyself.  Then  seek  to  know  for  what 
God  sent  thee  into  the  world ;  how  thou 
hast  fulfilled  it ;  art  thou  yet  what  God  willed 
thee  to  be ;  what  yet  lacketh  unto  thee ;  what 
is  God's  will  for  thee  now ;  what  thing  thou 
mayest  now  do,  by  His  grace,  to  obtain  His 
favor,  and  approve  thyself  unto  Him.  ^ay  to 
Him,  "  Teach  me  to  do  Thy  will,  for  Thou  art 
my  God,"  and  He  will  say  unto  thy  soul,  "  Fear 
not;  I  am  thy  salvation."  He  will  speak  peace 
unto  thy  soul ;  He  will  set  thee  in  the  way ;  He 
will  bear  thee  above  things  of  sense,  and  praise 
of  man,  and  things  which  perish  in  thy  grasp, 
and  give  thee,  if  but  afar  off,  some  glimpse  of 
His  own,  unfading,  unsetting,  unperishing  bright- 
ness and  bliss  and  love. 

E.    B.    PUSEY. 


1 6  January  i6 


Now  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.,  Himself .^  and  God., 
even  our  Father^  which  hath  loved  us,  and  hath 
given  us  everlasting  consolation  and  good  hope 
through  grace.,  comfort  your  hearts.^  and  stahlish 
you  in  every  good  word  and  work.  —  2  Thess. 
ii.  i6,  17. 


When  sorrow  all  our  heart  would  ask. 
We  need  not  shun  our  daily  task, 

And  hide  ourselves  for  calm  ; 
The  herbs  wc  seek  to  heal  our  woe 
Familiar  by  our  pathway  grow. 

Our  common  air  is  balm. 

J.   Keble. 

OH,  when  we  turn  away  from  some  duty 
or  some  fellow-creature,  saying  that  our 
hearts  are  too  sick  and  sore  with  some 
great  yearning  of  our  own,  we  may  often  sever 
the  line  on  which  a  divine  message  was  coming 
to  us.  We  shut  out  the  man,  and  we  shut  out 
the  angel  who  had  sent  him  on  to  open  the  door. 
There  is  a  plan  working  in  our  lives ;  and  if 
we  keep  our  hearts  quiet  and  our  eyes  open, 
it  all  works  together ;  and,  if  we  don't,  it  all 
fights  together,  and  goes  on  fighting  till  it  comes 
right,  somehow,  somewhere. 

Annie  Keary 


January  17  17 


Beloved^  think  it  not  strange  concerning  the  fiery 
trial  which  is  to  try  you,  as  though  some  strange 
thing  happened  unto  you :  but  rejoice,  inasmuch 
as  ye  are  partakers  of  Christ'' s  sufferings.  — 
I  Peter  iv.  12,  13. 


We  take  with  solemn  thankfulness 
Our  burden  up,  nor  ask  it  less. 
And  count  it  joy  that  even  we 
May  suffer,  serve,  or  wait  for  Thee, 
Whose  will  be  done  ! 

J.  G.  Whittier. 


RECEIVE  every  inward  and  outward 
trouble,  every  disappointment,  pain,  un- 
easiness, temptation,  darkness,  and  desola- 
tion, with  both  thy  hands,  as  a  true  opportunity 
and  blessed  occasion  of  dying  to  self,  and  enter- 
ing into  a  fuller  fellowship  with  thy  self-denying, 
suffering  Saviour.  Look  at  no  inward  or  out- 
ward trouble  in  any  other  view ;  reject  every 
other  thought  about  it ;  and  then  every  kind  of 
trial  and  distress  will  become  the  blessed  day  of 
thy  prosperity.  That  state  is  best,  which  exer- 
ciseth  the  highest  faith  in,  and  fullest  resignation 
to  God. 

Wm.   Law. 


1 8  January  i8 

Thou  shalt  rejoice  in  every  good  thing  which  the 
Lord  thy  God  hath  given  unto  thee. — Deut.xxvi.  1 1 . 

Rejoice  evermore.  In  everything  give  thanks.  — 
I  Thess.  v.  i6,  i8. 

Grave  on  thy  heart  each  past  "  red-letter  day  "  ! 
Forget  not  all  the  sunshine  of  the  way 
By  which  the  Lord  hath  led  thee ;  answered  prayers. 
And  joys  unasked,  strange  blessings,  lifted  cares. 
Grand  promise-echoes  1     Thus  thy  life  shall  be 
One  record  of  His  love  and  faithfulness  to  thee. 

F.   R.   Havergal. 

GRATITUDE  consists  in  a  watchful, 
minute  attention  to  the  particulars  of 
our  state,  and  to  the  multitude  of  God's 
gifts,  taken  one  by  one.  It  fills  us  with  a  con- 
sciousness that  God  loves  and  cares  for  us,  even 
to  the  least  event  and  smallest  need  of  life.  It 
is  a  blessed  thought,  that  from  our  childhood 
God  has  been  laying  His  fatherly  hands  upon 
us,  and  always  in  benediction ;  that  even  the 
strokes  of  His  hands  are  blessings,  and  among 
the  chiefest  we  have  ever  received.  When  this 
feeling  is  awakened,  the  heart  beats  with  a  pulse 
of  thankfulness.  Every  gift  has  its  return  of 
praise.  It  awakens  an  unceasing  daily  converse 
with  our  Father,  —  He  speaking  to  us  by  the 
descent  of  blessings,  we  to  Him  by  the  ascent 
of  thanksgiving.  And  all  our  whole  life  is 
thereby  drawn  under  the  light  of  His  counte- 
nance, and  is  filled  with  a  gladness,  serenity,  and 
peace  which  only  thankful  hearts  can  know. 

H.  £.  Manning. 


January  19  19 


Let  the  heart  of  them  rejoice  that  seek  the  Lord. 
—  Ps.  cv.  3. 

The  joy  of  the  Lord  is  your  strength.  —  Neh. 
viii.  10. 


Be  Thou  my  Sun,  my  selfishness  destroy, 

Thy  atmosphere  of  Love  be  all  my  joy  } 

Thy  Presence  be  my  sunshine  ever  bright, 

My  soul  the  little  mote  that  lives  but  in  Thy  light. 

Gerhard  Tersteegen. 


I  DO  not  know  when  I  have  had  happier 
times  in  my  soul,  than  when  I  have'  been 

sitting  at  work,  with  nothing  before  me  but 
a  candle  and  a  white  cloth,  and  hearing  no  sound 
but  that  of  my  own  breath,  with  God  in  my  soul 
and  heaven  in  my  eye.  ...  I  rejoice  in  being 
exactly  what  I  am,  —  a  creature  capable  of  lov- 
ing God,  and  who,  as  long  as  God  lives,  must 
be  happy.  I  get  up  and  look  for  a  while  out  of 
the  window,  and  gaze  at  the  moon  and  stars, 
the  work  of  an  Almighty  hand.  I  think  of  the 
grandeur  of  the  universe,  and  then  sit  down, 
and  think  myself  one  of  the  happiest  beings  in 
it. 

A  Poor  Methodist  Woman,   i8th  Century. 


20  January  20 

The  Lord  taketh  pleasure  in  His  people  :  He  will 
beautify  the  meek  with  salvation.  —  Ps.  cxlix.  4. 

i  Long  listening  to  Thy  words, 
My  voice  shall  catch  Thy  tone, 
And,  locked  in  Thine,  my  hand  shall  grow 
All  loving  like  Thy  own. 

B.  T 

IT  is  not  in  words  explicable,  with  what  di- 
vine lines  and  lights  the  exercise  of  godliness 
and  charity  will  mould  and  gild  the  hardest 
and  coldest  countenance,  neither  to  what  dark- 
ness their  departure  will  consign  the  loveliest. 
For  there  is  not  any  virtue  the  exercise  of  which, 
even  momentarily,  will  not  impress  a  new  fair- 
ness upon  the  features ;  neither  on  them  only, 
but  on  the  whole  body  the  moral  and  intellect- 
ual faculties  have  operation,  for  all  the  move- 
ments and  gestures,  however  slight,  are  different 
in  their  modes  according  to  the  mind  that  gov- 
erns them  —  and  on  the  gentleness  and  decision 
of  right  feeling  follows  grace  of  actions,  and, 
through  continuance  of  this,  grace  of  form. 

J.     RUSKIN. 

There  is  no  beautifier  of  complexion,  01 
form,  or  behavior,  like  the  wish  to  scatter  joy 
and  not  pain  around  us. 

R.   W.  Emerson. 


January  21  21 

Even  the  youths  shall  faint  and  be  weary ^  and 
the  young  men  shall  utterly  fall :  but  they  that  wait 
upon  the  Lord  shall  renew  their  strength ;  they  shall 
mount  up  with  wings  as  eagles ;  they  shall  run^ 
and  not  be  weary  ;  and  they  shall  walk  and  not 
faint.  —  IsA.  xl.  30,  31. 

Lord,  with  what  courage  and  delight 

I  do  each  thing, 
When  Thy  least  breath  sustains  my  wing  ! 

I  shine  and  move 

Like  those  above, 

And,  with  much  gladness 

Quitting  sadness. 
Make  me  fair  days  of  every  night. 

H.  Vaughan, 

MAN,  by  living  wholly  in  submission  to 
the     Divine    Influence,    becomes    sur- 
rounded with,  and  creates  for  himself, 
internal  pleasures  infinitely  greater  than  any  he 
can  otherwise  attain  to  —  a   state   of   heavenly 
Beatitude.  J.  P.  Greaves. 

By  persisting  in  ia  habit  of  self-denial,  we 
shall,  beyond  what  I  can  express,  increase  the 
inward  powers  of  the  mind,  and  shall  produce 
that  cheerfulness  and  greatness  of  spirit  as  will 
fit  us  for  all  good  purposes  ;  and  shall  not  have 
lost  pleasure,  but  changed  it;  the  soul  being  then 
filled  with  its  own  intrinsic  pleasures. 

Henry  More. 


22  January  22 

Then  shall  we  know,  if  we  follow  on  to  know 
the  Lord.  —  Hosea  vi.  3. 

And,  as  the  path  of  duty  is  made  plain, 

May  grace  be  given  that  I  may  walk  therein, 
Not  like  the  hireling,  for  his  selfish  gain, 

With  backward  glances  and  reluctant  tread. 

Making  a  merit  of  his  coward  dread,  — 

But,  cheerful,  in  the  light  around  me  thrown. 
Walking  as  one  to  pleasant  service  led  j 
Doing  God's  will  as  if  it  were  my  own. 

Yet  trusting  not  in  mine,  but  in  His  strength  alone  ! 

J.  G.  Whittier. 

IT  is  by  doing  our  duty  that  we  learn  to  do  it. 
So  long  as  men  dispute  whether  or  no  a 
thing  is  their  duty,  they  get  never  the 
nearer.  Let  them  set  ever  so  weakly  about 
doing  it,  and  the  face  of  things  alters.  They 
find  in  themselves  strength  which  they  knew 
not  of.  Difficulties  which  it  seemed  to  them 
they  could  not  get  over,  disappear.  For  He 
accompanies  it  with  the  influences  of  His  blessed 
Spirit,  and  each  performance  opens  our  minds 
for  larger  influxes  of  His  grace,  and  places  them 
in  communion  with  Him. 

E.    B.   PUSEY. 

That  which  is  called  considering  what  is 
our  duty  in  a  particular  case,  is  very  often 
nothing  but  endeavoring  to  explain  it  away. 

Joseph  Butler. 


January  23  23 


If  thou  draw  out  thy  soul  to  the  hungry^  and 
satisfy  the  afflicted  soul ;  then  shall  thy  light  rise  in 
obscurity y  and  thy  darkness  be  as  the  noonday  ;  and 
the  Lord  shall  guide  thee  continually.  —  Isa.  Iviii. 
10,  II.     - 


If  thou  hast  Yesterday  thy  duty  done, 

And  thereby  cleared  firm  footing  for  To-day, 

Whatever  clouds  make  dark  To-morrow's  sun. 
Thou  shalt  not  miss  thy  solitary  way. 

J.  W.  VON  Goethe. 


OLORD,  who  art  our  Guide  even  unto  \ 
death,  grant  us,  I  pray  Thee,  grace  to  / 
follow  Thee  whithersoever  Thou  goest. 
In  little  daily  duties  to  which  Thou  callest  us, 
bow  down  our  wills  to  simple  obedience,  patience 
under  pain  or  provocation,  strict  truthfulness  of 
word  and  manner,  humility,  kindness ;  in  great 
acts  of  duty  or  perfection,  if  Thou  shouldest 
call  us  to  them,  uplift  us  to  self-sacrifice,  heroic 
courage,  laying  down  of  life  for  Thy  truth's 
sake,  or  for  a  brother.     Amen. 

C.  G.  ROSSETTI. 


24  January  24 

/  will  bless  the  Lord^  who  hath  given  me  counsel, 
—  Ps.  xvi.  7. 

Not  slothful  in  business ;  fervent  in  spirit ;  serV" 
ing  the  Lord.  —  Rom.  xii.  11. 

Mine  be  the  reverent,  listening  love 

That  waits  all  day  on  Thee, 
With  the  service  of  a  watchful  heart 

Which  no  one  else  can  see. 

A.  L.  Waring. 

NOTHING  is  small  or  great  in  God's 
sight ;  whatever  He  wills  becomes  great 
to  us,  however  seemingly  trifling,  and  if 
once  the  voice  of  conscience  tells  us  that  He 
requires  anything  of  us,  we  have  no  right  to 
measure  its  importance.  On  the  other  hand, 
whatever  He  would  not  have  us  do,  however 
important  we  may  think  it,  is  as  nought  to  us. 
How  do  you  know  what  you  may  lose  by 
neglecting  this  duty,  which  you  think  so  trifling, 
or  the  blessing  which  its  faithful  performance 
may  bring  ?  Be  sure  that  if  you  do  your  very 
best  in  that  which  is  laid  upon  you  daily,  you 
will  not  be  left  without  sufficient  help  when 
some  weightier  occasion  arises.  Give  yourself 
to  Him,  trust  Him,  fix  your  eye  upon  Him, 
listen  to  His  voice,  and  then  go  on  bravely  and 
cheerfully. 

Jkan  Nicolas  Grou. 


January  25  25 

If  ye  know  these  things^  happy  are  ye  if  ye  do 
them.  —  John  xiii.  17. 

Therefore  to  him   that  knoweth  to  do  good^  and 
doeth  it  not^  to  him  it  is  sin.  — James  iv.  17. 

We  cannot  kindle  when  we  will 

The  fire  that  in  the  heart  resides. 
The  spirit  bloweth  and  is  still. 

In  mystery  our  soul  abides  : 
But  tasks  in  hours  of  insight  willed 
Can  be  through  liours  of  gloom  fulfilled. 

Matthew  Arnold 


H 


URT    not    your    conscience    with     any 
known  sin. 

S.  Rutherford 


Deep-rooted  customs,  though  wrong,  are 
not  easily  altered ;  but  it  is  the  duty  of  all  to  be 
firm  in  that  which  they  certainly  know  is  right 
for  them. 

John  Woolman. 

He  often  acts  unjustly  who  does  not  do  a 
certain  thing ;  not  only  he  who  does  a  certain 
thing. 

Marcus  Antoninus. 

Every  duty  we  omit  obscures  some  truth  we^ 
should  have  known.  ' 

John  Ruskin. 


26  January  26 

O  the  depth  of  the  riches  both  of  the  wisdom  and 
knowledge  of  God!  how  unsearchable  are  His 
judgments^  and  His  ways  past  finding  out !  — 
Rom.  xi.  33. 

//  doth  not  yet  appear  what  we  shall  be.  —  I 
John  iii.  2. 

No  star  is  ever  lost  we  once  have  seen, 

We  always  may  be  what  we  might  have  been. 

Since  Good,  though  only  thought,  has  life  and  breath, 

God's  life  —  can  always  be  redeemed  from  death  ; 

And  evil,  in  its  nature,  is  decay, 

And  any  hour  can  blot  it  all  away  ; 

The  hopes  that  lost  in  some  far  distance  seem, 

May  be  the  truer  life,  and  this  the  dream. 

A.  A.  Procter. 

ST.  BERNARD  has  said :  «  Man,  if  thou 
desirest  a  noble  and  holy  life,  and  unceas- 
ingly prayest  to  God  for  it,  if  thou  con- 
tinue constant  in  this  thy  desire,  it  will  be 
granted  unto  thee  without  fail,  even  if  only  in 
the  day  or  hour  of  thy  death  ;  and  if  God  should 
not  give  it  to  thee  then,  thou  shalt  find  it  in 
Him  in  eternity  :  of  this  be  assured."  There- 
fore do  not  relinquish  your  desire,  though  it  be 
not  fulfilled  immediately,  or  though  ye  may 
swerve  from  your  aspirations,  or  even  forget 
them  for  a  time.  .  .  .  The  love  and  aspiration 
which  once  really  existed  live  forever  before 
God,  and  in  Him  ye  shall  find  the  fruit  thereof; 
that  is,  to  all  eternity  it  shall  be  better  for  you 
than  if  you  had  never  felt  them.  J.  Tauler. 


January  27  27 

For  thus  saith  the  high  and  lofty  One  that  inhab- 
iteth  eternity^  whose  name  is  Holy ;  I  dwell  in  the 
high  and  holy  place^  with  him  also  that  is  of  a  con- 
trite and  humble  spirit^  to  revive  the  spirit  of  the 
humble^  and  to  revive  the  heart  of  the  contrite  ones. 
—  IsA.  Ivii.  15. 


Without  an  end  or  bound 
Thy  life  lies  all  outspread  in  light ; 

Our  lives  feel  Thy  life  all  around, 
Making  our  weakness  strong,  our  darkness  bright : 
Yet  is  it  neither  wilderness  nor  sea. 
But  the  calm  gladness  of  a  full  eternity. 

F.   W.  Faber. 


O  TRUTH  who  art  Eternity  !  And 
Love  who  art  Truth !  And  Eternity 
who  art  Love  !  Thou  art  my  God,  to 
Thee  do  I  sigh  night  and  day.  When  I  first 
knew  Thee,  Thou  liftedst  me  up,  that  I  might 
see  there  was  somewhat  for  me  to  see,  and  that 
I  was  not  yet  such  as  to  see.  And  Thou 
streaming  forth  Thy  beams  of  light  upon  me 
most  strongly,  didst  beat  back  the  weakness  of 
my  sight,  and  I  trembled  with  love  and  awe : 
and  I  perceived  myself  to  be  far  off  from  Thee 
'n  the  region  of  unlikeness. 

St.  Augustine. 


28  January  28 

^      O  fear  the  Lord,,  ye  His  saints :  for  there  is  nc 
(want  to  them  that  fear  Him. — Ps.  xxxiv.  9. 

Thou  openest  Thine  hand,,  and  satisfiest  the  desire 
of  every  living  thing. —  Ps.  cxlv.  16. 


What  Thou  shalt  to-day  provide, 

Let  me  as  a  child  receive  ; 
What  to-morrow  may  betide, 

Calmly  to  Thy  wisdom  leave. 
'T  is  enough  that  Thou  wilt  care  ; 
Why  should  I  the  burden  bear  ? 

J.  Newton. 


HAVE  we  found  that  anxiety  about  possible 
consequences  increased  the  clearness  of 
our  judgment,  made  us  wiser  and  braver 
in  meeting  the  present,  and  arming  ourselves  for 
the  future  ?  If  we  had  prayed  for  this  day's 
bread,  and  left  the  next  to  itself,  if  we  had  not 
huddled  our  days  together,  not  allotting  to  each 
its  appointed  task,  but  ever  deferring  that  to  the 
future,  and  drawing  upon  the  future  for  its  own 
troubles,  which  must  be  met  when  they  come 
whether  we  have  anticipated  them  or  not,  we 
should  have  found  a  simplicity  and  honesty  in 
our  lives,  a  capacity  for  work,  an  enjoyment  in 
it,  to  which  we  are  now,  for  the  most  part, 
strangers. 

F.  D.  Maurice. 


January  29  29 

/  the  Lord  will  hold  thy  right  hand^  saying  unto  * 
thee^  Fear  not  i  I  will  help  thee.  — IsA.  xli.  13. 

Show  Thy  marvellous  loving-kindness^  O  Thou 
that  save  St  by  Thy  right  hand  them  which  put  their 
trust  in  Thee.  —  Ps.  xvii.  7. 


I  TAKE  Thy  hand,  and  fears  grow  still ; 

Behold  Thy  face,  and  doubts  remove  ; 
Who  would  not  yield  his  wavering  will 

To  perfect  Truth  and  boundless  Love  ? 

S.  Johnson. 


DO  not  look  forward  to  the  changes  andf 
chances  of  this  life  in  fear ;  rather  look 
to  them  with  full  hope  that,  as  they  arise, 
God,  whose  you  are,  will  deliver  you   out  oflj 
them.      He    has    kept   you   hitherto,  —  do    you 
but  hold  fast  to  His  dear  hand,  and  He  will  lead 
you  safely  through  all  things;  and,  when  you 
cannot   stand.  He  will  bear  you  in  His  arms.  !\ 
Do  not  look  forward  to  what  may  happen  to-  ' 
morrow ;  the  same  everlasting  Father  who  cares 
for  you  to-day,  will  take  care  of  you  to-morrow,  '-] 
and  every  day.     Either  He  will  shield  you  from 
suffering,  or  He  will  give  you  unfailing  strength  1 
to  bear  it.     Be  at  peace  then,  and  put  aside  all  1' 
anxious  thoughts  and  imaginations. 

St.  Francis  ds  Salu. 


JO  January  30 

If  I  take  the  wings  of  the  mornings  and  dwell 
in  the  uttermost  parts  of  the  sea :  even  there  shall 
Thy  hand  lead  me^  and  Thy  right  hand  shall  hold 
me.  —  Ps.  cxxxix.  9,  10. 

I  CANNOT  lose  Thee  !     Still  in  Thee  abiding. 
The  end  is  clear,  how  wide  soe'er  I  roam  ; 

The  Hand  that  holds  the  worlds  my  steps  is  guiding, 
And  I  must  rest  at  last  in  Thee,  my  home. 

E.    SCUDDER. 

HOW  can  we  come  to  perceive  this  direct 
leading  of  God  ?  By  a  careful  looking 
at  home,  and  abiding  within  the  gates  of 
thy  own  soul.  Therefore,  let  a  man  be  at  home 
in  his  own  heart,  and  cease  from  his  restless 
chase  of  and  search  after  outward  things.  If 
he  is  thus  at  home  while  on  earth,  he  will  surely 
come  to  see  what  there  is  to  do  at  home, — 
what  God  commands  him  inwardly  without 
means,  and  also  outwardly  by  the  help  of  means  ; 
and  then  let  him  surrender  himself,  and  follow 
God  along  whatever  path  his  loving  Lord  thinks 
fit  to  lead  him  :  whether  it  be  to  contemplation 
or  action,  to  usefulness  or  enjoyment ;  whether 
in  sorrow  or  in  joy,  let  him  follow  on.  And  if 
God  do  not  give  him  thus  to  feel  His  hand  in 
all  things,  let  him  still  simply  yield  himself  up, 
and  go  without,  for  God's  sake,  out  of  love,  and 
stilJ  press  forward. 

J.  Tauler. 


January  31  31 

In  all  thy  ways  acknowledge  Him^  and  He  shall 
iirect  thy  paths.  —  Prov.  iii.  6. 

He  leadeth  me.  —  Ps.  xxiii.  2. 


In  **  pastures  green  "  ?     Not  always  ;  sometimes  Hf 
Who  knoweth  best,  in  kindness  leadeth  me 
In  weary  ways,  where  heavy  shadows  be. 

So,  whether  on  the  hill-tops  high  and  fair 
I  dwell,  or  in  the  sunless  valleys,  where 
The  shadows  lie,  what  matter  ?  He  is  there. 

Henry  H.  Barry. 


THE  Shepherd  knows  what  pastures  are 
best  for  his  sheep,  and  they  must  not 
question  nor  doubt,  but  trustingly  follow 
Him.  Perhaps  He  sees  that  the  best  pastures 
for  some  of  us  are  to  be  found  in  the  midst  of 
opposition  or  of  earthly  trials.  If  He  leads  you 
there,  you  may  be  sure  they  are  green  for  you^ 
and  you  will  grow  and  be  made  strong  by  feed- 
ing there.  Perhaps  He  sees  that  the  best  waters 
for  you  to  walk  beside  will  be  raging  waves  of 
trouble  and  sorrow.  If  this  should  be  the  case, 
He  will  make  them  still  waters  for  you,  and  you 
must  go  and  lie  down  beside  them,  and  let  them 
have  all  their  blessed  influences  upon  you. 

H.  W.  Smith. 


32  February  i 

Now  the  God  of  patience  and  consolation  grant 
you  to  he  like-minded  one  toward  another^  according 
to  Christ  Jesus.  —  RoM.  xv.  5. 

Let  patience  have  her  perfect  work. — ^James 
i.  4. 

Make  me  patient,  kind,  and  gentle, 

Day  by  day  ; 
Teach  me  how  to  live  more  nearly 

As  I  pray. 

Sharpe's  Magazine. 

(  1 1  ^HE  exercise  of  patience  involves  a  con- 
I  tinual  practice  of  the  presence  of  God ; 
for  we  may  be  come  upon  at  any  moment 
for  an  almost  heroic  display  of  good  temper,  and 
it  is  a  short  road  to  unselfishness,  for  nothing  is 
left  to  self;  all  that  seems  to  belong  most  inti- 
mately to  self,  to  be  self's  private  property,  such 
as  time,  home,  and  rest,  are  invaded  by  these 
continual  trials  of  patience.  The  family  is  full 
of  such  opportunities.  F.   W.  Faber. 

/        Only  as  we  know  what   it  is  to  cherish  love 

/  when   sore  at  some   unkindness,  to  overmaster 

,/   ourselves  when  under  provocation,   to   preserve 

'  \  gentleness  during  trial  and  unmerited  wrong, — 

I  I  only    then    can    we    know    in    any    degree   the 

\  "  manner  of  spirit "  that  was  in  Christ. 

T.  T.  Carter. 


February  2  33 

Nofw  we  exhort  you^  brethren^  warn  them  that 
ure  unruly^  comfort  the  feeble-minded^  support  the 
weak^  be  patient  toward  oilmen, —  I  Thess.  v.  14. 


The  little  worries  which  we  meet  each  day 
May  lie  as  stumbling-blocks  across  our  way, 
Or  we  may  make  them  stepping-stones  to  be 
Of  grace,  O  Lord,  to  Thee. 

A.  E.  Hamiliton 


WE  must  be  continually  sacrificing  oui 
own  wills,  as  opportunity  serves,  to  the 
will  of  others ;  bearing,  without  notice, 
sights  and  sounds  that  annoy  us ;  setting  about 
this  or  that  task,  when  we  had  far  rather  be 
doing  something  very  different ;  persevering  in 
it,  often,  when  we  are  thoroughly  tired  of  it ; 
keeping  company  for  duty's  sake,  when  it 
would  be  a  great  joy  to  us  to  be  by  ourselves ; 
besides  all  the  trifling  untoward  accidents  of 
life  ;  bodily  pain  and  weakness  long  continued, 
and  perplexing  us  often  when  it  does  not  amount 
to  illness ;  losing  what  we  value,  missing  what 
we  desire ;  disappointment  in  other  persons, 
wilfulness,  unkindness,  ingratitude,  folly,  in 
cases  where  we  least  expect   it 

J.  Keble. 


34  February  3 

Search  me^  O  God^  and  know  my  heart :  try  me^ 
and  know  my  thoughts:  and  see  if  there  be  any 
wicked  way  in  me^  and  lead  me  in  the  way  ever- 
lasting, —  Ps.  cxxxix.  23,  24. 

Save  us  from  the  evil  tongue, 
From  the  heart  that  thinketh  wrong, 
From  the  sins,  whatever  they  be. 
That  divide  the  soul  from  Thee. 

Anoh. 

SUCH  as  are  thy  habitual  thoughts,  such 
also  will  be  the  character  of  thy  mind ; 
for  the  soul  is  dyed  by  the  thoughts.  Dye 
it  then  with  a  continuous  series  of  such  thoughts 
as  these  :  for  instance,  that  where  a  man  can 
live,  there  he  can  also  live  well.  But  he  must 
live  in  a  palace :  well,  then,  he  can  also  live 
well  in  a  palace. 

Marcus  Antoninus. 

Who  is  there  that  sets  himself  to  the  task  of 
steadily  watching  his  thoughts  for  the  space  of 
one  hour,  with  the  view  of  preserving  his  mind 
in  a  simple,  humble,  healthful  condition,  but 
will  speedily  discern  in  the  multiform,  self- 
reflecting,  self-admiring  emotions,  which,  like 
locusts,  are  ready  to  "  eat  up  every  green  thing 
in  his  land,"  a  state  as  much  opposed  to  sim- 
plicity and  humility  as  night  is  to  day  ? 

M.  A.  Kkltt. 


February  4  35 

If  any  man  offend  not  in  ivord^  the  same  is  a 
perfect  man^  and  able  also  to  bridle  the  whole 
body. — James  Hi.  2 

Set  a  watch^  O  Lord^  before  my  mouth ;  keep  thf 
door  of  my  lips.  —  Ps.  cxli.  3. 


What  !  never  speak  one  evil  word, 

Or  rash,  or  idle,  or  unkind  ! 
Oh,  how  shall  I,  most  gracious  Lord, 

This  mark  of  true  perfection  find  ? 

C.  Wesley. 


WHEN  we  remember  our  temptations  to 
give  quick  indulgence  to  disappoint- 
ment or  irritation  or  unsympathizing 
weariness,  and  how  hard  a  thing  it  is  from  day 
to  day  to  meet  our  fellow-men,  our  neighbors, 
or  even  our  own  households,  in  all  moods,  in  all 
discordances  between  the  world  without  us  and 
the  frames  within,  in  all  states  of  health,  of  soli- 
citude, of  preoccupation,  and  show  no  signs  of 
impatience,  ungentleness,  or  unobservant  self-ab- 
sorption,—  with  only  kindly  feeling  finding  ex- 
pression, and  ungenial  feeling  at  least  inwardly 
imprisoned;  —  we  shall  be  ready  to  acknowledge 
that  the  man  who  has  thus  attained  is  master  of 
himself,  and  in  the  graciousness  of  his  power  is 
fashioned  upon  the  style  of  a  Perfect  Man. 

J.  H.  Thom. 


^6  February  5 

Blessed  are  they  that  keep  judgment^  and  he  that 
doeth  righteousness  at  all  times.  —  Ps.  cvi.  3. 

Thou  shalt  he  stedfast^  and  shalt  not  fear  :  be- 
cause thou  shalt  forget  thy  misery^  and  remember 
it  as  waters  that  pass  away.  — Job  xi.  15,  16. 

In  the  bitter  waves  of  woe, 

Beaten  and  tossed  about 
By  the  sullen  winds  that  blow 

From  the  desolate  shores  of  doubt. 
Where  the  anchors  that  faith  has  cast 

Are  dragging  in  the  gale, 
I  am  quietly  holding  fast 

To  the  things  that  cannot  fail. 

Washington  Gladden. 

IN  the  darkest  hour  through  which  a  human 
soul  can  pass,  whatever  else  is  doubtful,  this 
at  least  is  certain.  If  there  be  no  God  and 
no  future  state,  yet  even  then,  it  is  better  to  be 
generous  than  selfish,  better  to  be  chaste  than 
licentious,  better  to  be  true  than  false,  better  to 
be  brave  than  to  be  a  coward.  Blessed  be- 
yond all  earthly  blessedness  is  the  man  who,  in 
the  tempestuous  darkness  of  the  soul,  has  dared 
to  hold  fast  to  these  venerable  landmarks.  Thrice 
blessed  is  he,  who,  when  all  is  drear  and  cheerless 
within  and  without,  when  his  teachers  terrify 
him,  and  his  friends  shrink  fror.i  him,  has  obsti- 
nately clung  to  moral  good.  Thrice  blessed, 
because  his  night  shall  pass  into  clear,  bright  day. 

F.  W.  Robertson. 


February  6  37 

Whoso  putteth  his    trust  in  the  Lord  shall  bt 
safe.  —  Prov.  xxix.  25. 

/  will  cry  unto  God  most  high  ;  unto  God,  thai 
performeth  all  things  for  me. — Ps.  Ivii,  2. 


Only  thy  restless  heart  keep  still, 
And  wait  in  cheerful  hope  ;  content 

To  take  whatever  His  gracious  will. 
His  all-discerning  love  hath  sent ; 

Nor  doubt  our  inmost  wants  are  known 
To  Him  who  chose  us  for  His  own, 

G.  Neumark. 


GOD  has  brought  us  into  this  time;  He, 
and  not  ourselves  or  some  dark  demon. 
If  we  are  not  fit  to  cope  with  that  which 
He  has  prepared  for  us,  we  should  have  been 
utterly  unfit  for  any  condition  that  we  imagine 
for  ourselves.  In  this  time  we  are  to  live  and 
wrestle,  and  in  no  other.  Let  us  humbly, 
tremblingly,  manfully  look  at  it,  and  we  shall 
not  wish  that  the  sun  could  go  back  its  ten 
degrees,  or  that  we  could  go  back  with  it.  If 
easy  times  are  departed,  it  is  that  the  difficult 
times  may  make  us  more  in  earnest ;  that  they 
may  teach  us  not  to  depend  upon  ourselves.  If 
easy  belief  is  impossible,  it  is  that  we  may  learn 
what  belief  is,  and  in  whom  it  is  to  be  placed. 

F.  D,  Maurice. 


3  8  February  7 

Obey  my  voice^  and  I  will  he  you}-  God^  and  ye 
shall  he  my  people :  and  walk  ye  in  all  the  ways 
that  I  have  commanded  you.,  that  it  may  he  well 
unto  you. — Jer.  vii.  23. 

And  oft,  when  in  my  heart  was  heard 

Thy  timely  mandate,  I  deferred 

The  task,  in  smoother  walks  to  stray  ; 

But  thee  I  now  would  serve  more  strictly,  if  I  may. 

W.   Wordsworth. 

PRAY  Him  to  give  you  what  Scripture  calls 
"  an  honest  and  good  heart,"  or  "  a  per- 
fect heart ;  "  and,  without  waiting,  begin 
at  once  to  obey  Him  with  the  best  heart  you 
have.  Any  obedience  is  better  than  none.  You 
have  to  seek  His  face;  obedience  is  the  onlv 
way  of  seeing  Him.  All  your  duties  are  obedi- 
ences. To  do  what  He  bids  is  to  obey  Him, 
and  to  obey  Him  is  to  approach  Him.  Every 
act  of  obedience  is  an  approach  —  an  approach 
to  Him  who  is  not  far  off,  though  He  seems  so, 
but  close  behind  this  visible  screen  of  things 
which   hides   Him   from  us.         J.   H.   Newman. 

As  soon  as  we  lay  ourselves  entirely  at  His 
feet,  we  have  enough  light  given  us  to  guide 
our  own  steps  j  as  the  foot-soldier,  who  hears 
nothing  of  the  councils  that  determine  the  course 
of  the  great  battle  he  is  in,  hears  plainly  enough 
the  word  of  command  which  he  must  himself 
obey.  Gforge  Eliot. 


February  8  J9 


He  leadeth  me  beside  the  still  waters.  He  re- 
storeth  my  soul :  He  leadeth  me  in  the  paths  of 
righteousness  for  His  name's  sake.  —  Ps.  xxiii.  2,  3. 


He  leads  me  where  the  waters  glide, 

The  waters  soft  and  still. 
And  homeward  He  will  gently  guide 

My  wandering  heart  and  will. 

J.  Keble. 


OUT  of  obedience  and  devotion  arises  an 
habitual  faith,  which  makes  Him,  though 
unseen,  a  part  of  all  our  life.  He  will 
guide  us  in  a  sure  path,  though  it  be  a  rough 
one :  though  shadows  hang  upon  it,  yet  He  will 
be  with  us.  He  will  bring  us  home  at  last. 
Through  much  trial  it  may  be,  and  weariness, 
in  much  fear  and  fainting  of  heart,  in  much  sad- 
ness and  loneliness,  in  griefs  that  the  world 
never  knows,  and  under  burdens  that  the  near- 
est never  suspect.  Yet  He  will  suffice  for  all. 
By  His  eye  or  by  His  voice  He  will  guide  us,  if 
we  be  docile  and  gentle ;  by  His  staff  and  by 
His  rod,  if  we  wander  or  are  wilful :  any  how, 
and  by  all  means,  He  will  bring  us  to  His  rest. 

H.  E    Manni.nq 


40  February  g 

/  was  afraid^  and  went  and  hid  thy  talent  in  the 
earth  :  lo^  there  thou  hast  that  is  thine. —  Matt. 
XXV.  25. 


Time  was,  I  shrank  from  what  was  right. 

From  fear  of  what  was  wrong  ; 
I  would  not  brave  the  sacred  fight, 

Because  the  foe  was  strong. 

But  now  I  cast  that  finer  sense 

And  sorer  shame  aside  ; 
Such  dread  of  sin  was  indolence. 

Such  aim  at  heaven  was  pride. 

J.  H.  Newman. 


IF  he  falls  into  some  error,  he  does  not  fret 
over  it,  but  rising  up  with  a  humble  spirit, 
he  goes  on  his  way  anew  rejoicing.  Were 
he  to  fall  a  hundred  times  in  the  day,  he  would 
not  despair,  —  he  would  rather  cry  out  lovingly 
to  God,  appealing  to  His  tender  pity.  The 
really  devout  man  has  a  horror  of  evil,  but  he 
has  a  still  greater  love  of  that  which  is  good ; 
he  is  more  set  on  doing  what  is  right,  than 
avoiding  what  is  wrong.  Generous,  large- 
hearted,  he  is  not  afraid  of  danger  in  serving 
God,  and  would  rather  run  the  risk  of  doing 
His  will  imperfectly  than  not  strive  to  serve 
Him  lest  he  fail  in  the  attempt. 

Jean  Nicolas  Grou, 


February  lo  4* 

JVe  have  watted  for  Him^  and  He  will  save  us : 
this  is  the  Lord ;  we  have  waited /or  Him^  we  will 
be  glad  and  rejoice  in  His  salvation.  —  Isa.  xxv.  9. 


Blest  are  the  humble  souls  that  wait 
With  sweet  submission  to  His  will ; 

Harmonious  all  their  passions  move, 
And  in  the  midst  of  storms  are  still. 

P.  Doddridge. 


DO  not  be  discouraged  at  your  faults  ;  bear 
with  yourself  in  correcting  them,  as  you 
would  with  your  neighbor.  Lay  aside 
this  ardor  of  mind,  which  exhausts  your  body, 
and  leads  you  to  commit  errors.  Accustom 
yourself  gradually  to  carry  prayer  into  all  your 
daily  occupations.  Speak,  move,  work,  in  peace, 
as  if  you  were  in  prayer,  as  indeed  you  ought  to 
be.  Do  everything  without  excitement,  by  the 
spirit  of  grace.  As  soon  as  you  perceive  your 
natural  impetuosity  gliding  in,  retire  quietly 
within,  where  is  the  kingdom  of  God.  Listen 
to  the  leadings  of  grace,  then  say  and  do-noth- 
ing but  what  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  put  in  your 
heart.  You  will  find  that  you  will  become  more 
tranqui\,  that  your  words  will  be  fewer  and 
more  effectual,  and  that,  with  less  effort,  you 
will  accomplish  more  good. 

FRAN9013  DE  LA  MOTHE  FeNELON 


42  February  ii 

/  have  finished  the  work  which  Thou  gavest  mi 
to  do. — John  xvii.  4. 

She  hath  done  what  she  could.  —  Mark  xiv.  8 


He  who  God's  will  has  borne  and  done, 
And  his  own  restless  longings  stilled, 

What  else  he  does,  or  has  foregone, 
His  mission  he  has  well  fulfilled. 

From  the  German 


CHEERED  by  the  presence  of  God,  I  wilj 
do  at  each  moment,  without  anxiety, 
according  to  the  strength  which  He  shall 
give  me,  the  work  that  His  Providence  assigns 
me.  I  will  leave  the  rest  without  concern ; 
it  is  not  my  affair.  I  ought  to  consider  the 
duty  to  which  I  am  called  each  day,  as  the 
work  that  God  has  given  me  to  do,  and  to 
apply  myself  to  it  in  a  manner  worthy  of  His 
glory,  that  is  to  say,  with  exactness  and  in 
peace.  I  must  neglect  nothing ;  I  must  be 
violent  about  nothing. 

Francois  de  la  Mothe  Fenelon. 

It  is  thy  duty  oftentimes  to  do  what  thou 
wouldst  not ;  thy  duty,  too,  to  leave  undone 
what  thou  wouldst  do. 

Thomas  a  Kempis. 


February  12  43 

Blessed  he  the  Lord^  who  dally  loadeth  us  with 
benefits.  —  Ps.  Ixviii.  19. 

Nor  trust  in  uncertain  riches.^  hut  in  the  living 
God^  who  giveth  us  richly  all  things  to  enjoy.  — 
I  Tim.  vi.  17. 


Source  of  my  life's  refreshing  springs, 
Whose  presence  in  my  heart  sustains  me. 

Thy  love  ordains  me  pleasant  things, 
Thy  mercy  orders  all  that  pains  me. 

A.  L.  Waring. 


AND  to  be  true,  and  speak  my  soul,  when 
I  survey  the  occurrences  of  my  life,  and 
call  into  account  the  finger  of  God,  I  can 
perceive  nothing  but  an  abyss  and  mass  of 
mercies,  either  in  general  to  mankind,  or  in 
particular  to  myself;  and  whether  out  of  the 
prejudice  of  my  affection,  or  an  inverting  and 
partial  conceit  of  His  mercies,  I  know  not ; 
but  those  which  others  term  crosses,  afflictions, 
judgments,  misfortunes,  to  me  who  inquire 
farther  into  them  than  their  visible  effects,  they 
both  appear,  and  in  event  have  ever  proved,  the 
secret  and  dissembled  favors  of  His  affection. 

Sir  T,  Browne 


44  February  13 

Let  Him  do  to  me  as  seemeth  good  unto  Him.  — 
2  Sam.  XV.  26. 

To  have,  each  day,  the  thing  I  wish, 

Lord,  that  seems  best  to  me  j 
But  not  to  have  the  thing  I  wish, 

Lord,  that  seems  best  to  Thee. 
Most  truly,  then.  Thy  will  is  done, 

When  mine,  O  Lord,  is  crossed  ; 
*T  is  good  to  see  my  plans  o'erthrown. 

My  ways  in  Thine  all  lost.  H.  Bonar. 

OLORD,  Thou  knowest  what  is  best  for 
us  ;  let  this  or  that  be  done,  as  Thou 
shalt  please.  Give  what  Thou  wilt,  and 
how  much  Thou  wilt,  and  when  Thou  wilt. 
Deal  with  me  as  Thou  thinkest  good.  Set  me 
where  Thou  wilt,  and  deal  with  me  in  all  things 
just  as  Thou  wilt.  Behold,  I  am  Thy  servant, 
prepared  for  all  things :  for  I  desire  not  to  live 
unto  myself,  but  unto  Thee;  and  oh,  that  I 
could  do  it  worthily  and  perfectly ! 

Thomas  a  Kempis. 

Dare  to  look  up  to  God,  and  say,  "  Make 
use  of  me  for  the  future  as  Thou  wilt.  I  am 
of  the  same  mind  ;  I  am  one  with  Thee.  I 
refuse  nothing  which  seems  good  to  Thee. 
Lead  me  whither  Thou  wilt,  clothe  me  in 
whatever  dress  Thou  wilt.  Is  it  Thy  will  that 
I  should  be  in  a  public  or  a  private  condition, 
dwell  here,  or  be  banished,  be  poor  or  rich  .? 
Under  all  these  circumstances,  I  will  testify 
unto  Thee  before  men."  Epictetus 


February  14  45 


/  would  have  you  without  carefulness.  —  i  Cor. 
vii.  32. 


O  Lord,  how  happy  should  we  be 
If  we  could  cast  our  care  on  Thee, 

If  we  from  self  could  rest  j 
And  feel  at  heart  that  One  above, 
In  perfect  wisdom,  perfect  love. 

Is  working  for  the  best. 

J.  Anstice. 


CAST  all  thy  care  on  God.  See  that  all* 
thy  cares  be  such  as  thou  canst  cast  on 
God,  and  then  hold  none  back.  Never 
brood  over  thyself;  never  stop  short  in  thyself; 
but  cast  thy  whole  self,  even  this  very  care  which 
distresseth  thee,  upon  God.  Be  not  anxious 
about  little  things,  if  thou  wouldst  learn  to  trust 
God  with  thine  all.  Act  upon  faith  in  little 
things;  commit  thy  daily  cares  and  anxieties  to 
Him  ;  and  He  will  strengthen  thy  faith  for  any 
greater  trials.  Rather,  give  thy  whole  self  into 
God's  hands,  and  so  trust  Him  to  take  care  of 
t\\pjc  in  all  lesser  things,  as  being  His,  for  His 
own  sake,  whose  thou  art. 

E.    B.    PUSEY 


4^  February  15 

If  ye  fulfil  the  royal  law  according  to  the  Scrip- 
ture^  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself  ye  do 
well. — James  ii.  8. 

Come,  children,  let  us  go  ! 

We  travel  hand  in  hand  ; 
Each  in  his  brother  finds  his  joy 

In  this  wild  stranger  land. 
The  strong  be  quick  to  raise 

The  weaker  when  they  fall  ; 
Let  love  and  peace  and  patience  bloom 

In  ready  help  for  all. 

G.  Tersteegen. 

IT  is  a  sad  weakness  in  us,  after  all,  that  thv, 
thought  of  a  man's  death  hallows  him  anew 
to  us ;  as  if  life  were  not  sacred  too,  —  as 
if  it  were  comparatively  a  light  thing  to  fail  in 
love  and  reverence  to  the  brother  who  has  to 
climb  the  whole  toilsome  steep  with  us,  and  all 
I  our  tears  and  tenderness  were  due  to  the  one 
who  is  spared  that  hard  journey. 

George  Eliot. 

Would  we  codify  the  laws  that  should  reign 
in  households,  and  whose  daily  transgression 
annoys  and  mortifies  us;  and  degrades  our  house- 
hold life,  —  we  must  learn  to  adorn  every  day 
with  sacrifices.  Good  manners  are  made  up  of 
petty  sacrifices.  Temperance,  courage,  lo\  e, 
are  made  up  of  the  same  jewels.  Listen  to 
every  prompting  of  honor.  R.  W.  Emerson, 


February  lO  47 


Serve  Him  with  a  perfect  hearty  and  with  a 
willing  mind.  —  i  Chron.  xxviii.  9. 


And  if  some  things  I  do  not  ask, 

In  my  cup  of  blessing  be, 
I  would  have  my  spirit  filled  the  more 

With  grateful  love  to  Thee,  — 
More  careful,  —  not  to  serve  Thee  much, 

But  to  please  Thee  perfectly. 

A.  L.  Waring. 


LITTLE  things  come  daily,  hourly,  within 
our  reach,  and  they  are  not  less  calculated 
to  set  forward  our  growth  in  holiness,  than 
are  the  greater  occasions  which  occur  but  rarely. 
Moreover,  fidelity  in  trifles,  and  an  earnest  seek- 
ing to  please  God  in  little  matters,  is  a  test  of 
real  devotion  and  love.  Let  your  aim  be  to 
please  our  dear  Lord  perfectly  in  little  things, 
and  to  attain  a  spirit  of  childlike  simplicity  and 
dependence.  In  proportion  as  self-love  and  self- 
confidence  are  weakened,  and  our  will  bowed  to 
that  of  God,  so  will  hindrances  disappear,  the 
internal  troubles  and  contests  which  harassed  the 
soul  vanish,  and  it  will  be  filled  with  peace  and 
tranquillity. 

Jean  Nicolas  Grou, 


4^  February  17 

My  brethren^  count  it  all  joy  when  ye  fall  into 
divers  temptations  \or  "  trials  "] ,  knowing  this,  that 
the  trying  of  your  faith  worketh  patience.  —  James 
»•  2,  3- 

For  patience,  when  the  rough  winds  blow  I 

For  patience,  when  our  hopes  are  fading,  — 
When  visible  things  all  backward  go, 
)  And  nowhere  seems  the  power  of  aiding  ! 

God  still  enfolds  thee  with  His  viewless  hand. 
And  leads  thee  surely  to  the  Fatherland. 

N.  L.   Frothingham,  from  the  German. 

WE  have  need  of  patience  with  ourselves 
and  with  others ;  with  those  below,  and 
those    above    us,    and    with    our    own 
^     equals ;  with  those  who  love  us  and  those  who 
love  us  not;  for  the  greatest  things  and   for  the 
least;    against    sudden    inroads   of  trouble,  and 
under  our  daily  burdens ;  disappointments  as  to 
*\    the  weather,  or  the  breaking  of  the  heart ;  in  the 
'    weariness  of  the  body,  or  the  wearing  of  the  soul ; 
in  our  own   failure  of  duty,   or   others'    failure 
toward  us;   in  every-day  wants,  or  in  the  aching 
,   of  sickness  or  the  decay  of  age;  in  disappoint- 
/  ment,  bereavement,  losses,  injuries,  reproaches ; 
in  heaviness  of  the  heart;  or  its  sickness  amid 
delayed  hopes.     In  all  these  things,  from  child- 
/   hood's  little  troubles  to  the  martyr's  sufferings, 
'  patience  is  the  grace  of  God,  whereby  we  endure 
/  evil  for  the  love  of  God. 

E.    B.    PUSEY, 


February  i8  49 

//  is  good  for  me  that  I  have  been  afflicted ;  that 
I  might  learn  Thy  statutes.  —  Ps.  cxix.  71. 

But  though  He  cause  griefs  yet  will  He  have 
compassion^  according  to  the  multitude  of  His  mercies. 
—  Lam.  iii.  32. 

And  yet  these  days  of  dreariiiess  are  sent  us  from  above  ;* 
They  do  not  come  in  anger,  but  in  faithfulness  and  love  ; 
They  come  to  teach  us  lessons  which  bright  ones  could 

not  yield. 
And  to  leave  us  blest  and  thankful  when  their  purpose 

is  fulfilled. 

Anon. 

HEED  not  distressing  thoughts  when  they 
rise  ever  so  strongly  in  thee ;  nay,  though 
they  have  entered  thee,  fear  them  not, 
but  be  still  awhile,  not  believing  in  the  power 
which  thou  feelest  they  have  over  thee,  and  it 
will  fall  on  a  sudden.  It  is  good  for  thy  spirit, 
and  greatly  to  thy  advantage,  to  be  much  and 
variously  exercised  by  the  Lord.  Thou  dost 
not  know  what  the  Lord  hath  already  done, 
and  what  He  is  yet  doing  for  thee  therein. 

I.  Penington. 

Why  should  I  start  at  the  plough  of  my 
Lord,  that  maketh  deep  furrows  on  my  soul  ? 
I  know  He  is  no  idle  husbandman,  He  purposeth 
a  crop. 

S.  Rutherford. 


50  February  19 

My  meat  is  to  do  the  will  of  Him  that  sent  me 
and  to  finish  His  u'o*-k.  — John  iv.  34. 

I  AM  glad  to  think 
I  am  not  bound  to  make  the  world  go  right  ; 
But  only  to  discover  and  to  do, 
With  cheerful  heart,  the  work  that  God  appoints. 

I  will  trust  in  Him, 
That  He  can  hold  His  own  ;  and  I  will  take 
His  will,  above  the  work  He  sendeth  me, 
To  be  my  chiefest  good. 

J.  Ingelow. 

DON'T  object  that  your  duties  are  so  insig- 
nificant ;  they  are  to  be  reckoned  of 
infinite  significance,  and  alone  important 
to  you.  Were  it  but  the  more  perfect  regula- 
tion of  your  apartments,  the  sorting-away  of 
your  clothes  and  trinkets,  the  arranging  of  you*" 
papers,  —  "  Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do, 
do  it  with  all  thy  might,"  and  all  thy  worth 
and  constancy.  Much  more,  if  your  duties  are 
of  evidently  higher,  wider  scope  ;  if  you  have 
brothers,  sisters,  a  father,  a  mother,  weigh 
earnestly  what  claim  does  lie  upon  you,  on  be- 
half of  each,  and  consider  it  as  the  one  thing 
needful,  to  pay  them  more  and  more  honestly 
and  nobly  what  you  owe.  What  matter  how 
miserable  one  is,  if  one  can  do  that  ?  That  is 
the  sure  and  steady  disconnection  and  extinction 
of  whatsoever  miseries  one  has  in  this  world. 

T.  Carlvle. 


February  20  51 

Let  us  not  therefore  judge  one  another  any  more : 
but  judge  this  rather^  that  no  man  put  a  stumblings 
block ^  or  an  occasion  tofall^  in  his  brother's  way.  — 
Rom.  xiv.  13. 

Them  that    were  entering    in^  ye   hindered.  — 
Luke  xi.  52. 

Mv  mind  was  ruffled  with  small  cares  to-day, 
And  I  said  pettish  words,  and  did  not  keep 
Long-sufFering  patience  well,  and  now  how  deep 
My  trouble  for  this  sin  !  in  vain  I  weep 
For  foolish  words  I  never  can  unsay. 

H.  S.  Sutton. 

A  VEXATION  arises,  and  our  expressions 
of  impatience  hinder  others  from  taking 
it  patiently.  Disappointment,  ailment,  or 
even  weather  depresses  us;  and  our  look  or 
tone  of  depression  hinders  others  from  main- 
taining a  cheerful  and  thankful  spirit.  We  say 
an  unkind  thing,  and  another  is  hindered  in 
learning  the  holy  lesson  of  charity  that  thinketh 
no  evil.  We  say  a  provoking  thing,  and  our 
sister  or  brother  is  hindered  in  that  day's  effort 
to  be  meek.  How  sadly,  too,  we  may  hinder 
without  word  or  act !  For  wrong  feeling  is  more 
infectious  than  wrong  doing ;  especially  the 
various  phases  of  ill  temper,  —  gloominess, 
touchiness,  discontent,  irritability,  —  do  we  not 
know  how  catching  these  are  ? 

F.    R.    HaVIiRGaL. 


52  February  21 

If  ye  then,,  being  evil,  know  how  to  givt  good 
gifts  unto  your  children,  how  much  more  shall  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven  give  good  gifts  to  them 
that  ask  Him  f'  —  Matt.  vii.  1 1. 

For  His  great  love  has  compassed 

Our  nature,  and  our  need 
We  know  not  ;   but  He  knoweth, 

And  He  will  bless  indeed. 
Therefore,  O  heavenly  Father, 

Give  what  is  best  to  me  ; 
And  take  the  wants  unanswered, 

As  offerings  made  to  Thee.  ANOh. 

WHATSOEVER  we  ask  which  is  not  for 
our  good,  He  will  keep  it  back  from  us. 
And  surely  in  this  there  is  no  less  of 
love  than  in  the  granting  what  we  desire  as  we 
ought.  Will  not  the  same  love  which  prompts 
you  to  give  a  good,  prompt  you  to  keep  back 
an  evil,  thing  t  If,  in  our  blindness,  not  know- 
ing what  to  ask,  we  pray  for  things  which  would 
turn  in  our  hands  to  sorrow  and  death,  will 
not  our  Father,  out  of  His  very  love,  deny  us  ? 
How  awful  would  be  our  lot,  if  our  wishes 
should  straightway  pass  into  realities ;  if  we  were 
endowed  with  a  power  to  bring  about  all  that 
we  desire;  if  the  inclinations  of  our  will  were 
followed  by  fulfilment  of  our  hasty  wishes,  and 
sudden  longings  were  always  granted.  One  day 
we  shall  bless  Him,  not  more  for  what  He  has 
granted  than   for  what   He  has  denied. 

H.  E.  Manning. 


February  22  53 

Be  careful  for  nothings  hut  in  everything  by 
*/rayer  and  supplication  with  thanksgiving  let  your 
requests  be  made  known  unto  God.  —  Phil.  iv.  6. 

We  tell  Thee  of  our  care,  ^ 

Of  the  sore  burden,  pressing  day  by  day,  \ 

And  in  the  light  and  pity  of  Thy  face,  / 

The  burden  melts  away. 

We  breathe  our  secret  wish. 
The  importunate  longing  which  no  man  may  see  ; 
We  ask  it  humbly,  or,  more  restful  still. 

We  leave  it  all  to  Thee. 

Susan  Coolidge. 

THAT  prayer  which  does  not  succeed  in  ( 
moderating  our  wish,  in  changing  the 
passionate  desire  into  still  submission,  the 
anxious,  tumultuous  expectation  into  silent  sur- 
render, is  no  true  prayer,  and  proves  that  we 
have  not  the  spirit  of  true  prayer.  That  life  is 
most  holy  in  which  there  is  least  of  petition  and 
desire,  and  most  of  waiting  upon  God ;  that  in 
which  petition  most  often  passes  into  thanks- 
giving. Pray  till  prayer  makes  you  forget  your 
own  wish,  and  leave  it  or  merge  it  in  God's 
will.  The  Divine  wisdom  has  given  us  prayer, 
not  as  a  means  whereby  to  obtain  the  good 
things  of  earth,  but  as  a  means  whereby  we 
learn  to  do  without  them ;  not  as  a  means 
whereby  we  escape  evil,  but  as  a  means  whereby 
we  become  strong  to  meet  it. 

F.  W.  Robertson. 


54  February  23 

Let  the  Lord  do  that  which  is  good  in  His  sight. 
—  I  Chron.  xix.  13. 

Let  Thy  mercy ^  O  Lord^  be  upon  us^  according  as 
We  hope  in  Thee.  —  Ps.  xxxiii.  22. 


I  CANNOT  feel 
That  all  is  well,  when  darkening  clouds  conceal 

The  shining  sun  ; 

But  then,  I  know 
He  lives  and  loves  ;  and  say,  since  it  is  so, 

Thy  will  be  done. 

S.  G.  Browning. 


NO  felt  evil  or  defect  becomes  divine  until 
it  is  inevitable;  and  only  when  resistance 
to  it  is  exhausted  and  hope  has  fled,  does 
surrender  cease  to  be  premature.  The  hardness 
of  our  task  lies  here;  that  we  have  to  strive 
against  the  grievous  things  of  life,  while  hope 
remains,  as  if  they  were  evil ;  and  then,  when  the 
stroke  has  fallen,  to  accept  them  from  the  hand 
of  God,  and  doubt  not  they  are  good.  But  to 
the  loving,  trusting  heart  all  things  are  possible ; 
and  even  this  instant  change,  from  overstrained 
will  to  sorrowful  repose,  from  fullest  resist- 
ance to  complete  surrender,  is  realized  without 
convulsion. 

J.   Martineau. 


February  24  55 


These  things  I  have  spoken  unto  you  that  in  me 
ye  might  have  peace.  In  the  world  ye  shall  have 
tribulation  :  but  be  of  good  cheer  ;  I  have  overcome 
the  world.  — John  xvi.  33. 


O  Thou,  the  primal  fount  of  life  and  peace, 
Who  shedd'st  Thy  breathing  quiet  all  around. 

In  me  command  that  pain  and  conflict  cease, 
And  turn  to  music  every  jarring  sound. 

J.  Sterling. 


ACCUSTOM  yourself  to  unreasonableness 
and  injustice.  Abide  in  peace  in  the 
presence  of  God,  who  sees  all  these  evils 
more  clearly  than  you  do,  and  who  permits 
them.  Be  content  with  doing  with  calmness 
the  little  which  depends  upon  yourself,  and  let 
all  else  be  to  you  as  if  it  were  not. 

FRAN9OIS    DE    LA    MOTHE    FeNELON. 


It  is  rare  when  injustice,  or  slights  patiently 
borne,  do  not  leave  the  heart  at  the  close  of  the 
day  filled  with  marvellous  joy  and  peace. 

Gold  Dust- 


S6  February  25 

But  noiv  thus  saith  the  Lord  that  created  thee^  O 
Jacob^  and  He  that  formed  thee^  O  Israel^  Fear 
not :  for  I  have  redeemed  thee^  I  have  called  thee 
by  thy  name  ;  thou  art  mine.  —  IsA.  xliii.  I. 


(  Thou  art  as  much  His  care  as  if  beside 
/      Nor  man  nor  angel  lived  in  heaven  or  earth  ; 
I  Thus  sunbeams  pour  alike  their  glorious  tide, 
/      To  light  up  worlds,  or  wake  an  insect's  mirth. 

J.    Keble. 


GOD  beholds  thee  individually,  whoever 
thou  art.  "  He  calls  thee  by  thy  name." 
He  sees  thee,  and  understands  thee.  He 
knows  what  is  in  thee,  all  thy  own  peculiar  feel- 
ings and  thoughts,  thy  dispositions  and  likings, 
thy  strength  and  thy  weakness.  He  views  thee 
in  thy  day  of  rejoicing  and  thy  day  of  sorrow. 
He  sympathizes  in  thy  hopes  and  in  thy  tempta- 
tions ;  He  interests  himself  in  all  thy  anxieties 
and  thy  remembrances,  in  all  the  risings  and 
fallings  of  thy  spirit.  He  compasses  thee  round, 
and  bears  thee  in  His  arms  ;  He  takes  thee  up 
and  sets  thee  down.  Thou  dost  not  love  thy- 
self better  than  He  loves  thee.  Thou  canst  not 
shrink  from  pain  more  than  He  dislikes  thy 
bearing  it,  and  if  He  puts  it  on  thee,  it  is  as 
thou  wilt  put  it  on  thyself,  if  thou  art  wise,  for 
a  greater  good  afterwards. 

I.   H.   Newman. 


February  26  57 

The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  all  them  that  call  upon 
Him^  to  all  that  call  upon  Him  in  truth.  —  Ps. 
cxlv.  18. 

/  sought  the  Lord^  and  He  heard  me^  and  de- 
livered me  from  all  my  fears.  —  Ps.  xxxiv.  4. 


Be  Thou,  O  Rock  of  Ages,  nigh  ! 

So  shall  each  murmuring  thought  be  gone  ; 
And  grief  and  fear  and  care  shall  fly. 

As  clouds  before  the  mid-day  sun. 

C.   Wesley. 


TAKE  courage,  and  turn  your  troubles, 
which  are  without  remedy,  into  material 
for  spiritual  progress.  Often  turn  to  our 
Lord,  who  is  watching  you,  poor  frail  little  being 
as  you  are,  amid  your  labors  and  distractions. 
He  sends  you  help,  and  blesses  your  affliction. 
This  thought  should  enable  you  to  bear  your 
troubles  patiently  and  gently,  for  love  of  Him 
who  only  allows  you  to  be  tried  for  your  own 
good.  Raise  your  heart  continually  to  God, 
seek  His  aid,  and  let  the  foundation  stone  of 
your  consolation  be  your  happiness  in  being  His. 
All  vexations  and  annoyances  will  be  compara- 
tively unimportant  while  you  know  that  you 
have  such  a  Friend,  such  a  Stay,  such  a  Refuge. 
May  God  be  ever  in  your  heart. 

St.  Francis  de  Sales, 


58  February  27 

Trust  in  the  Lord^  and  do  good ;  so  shalt  thou 
dwell  in  the  land^  and  verily  thou  shalt  he  fed.  — 
Ps.  xxxvii.  3. 

Build  a  little  fence  of  trust 

Around  to-day  ; 
Fill  the  space  with  loving  work, 

And  therein  stay  ; 
Look  not  through  the  sheltering  bars 

Upon  to-morrow, 
God  will  help  thee  bear  what  comes. 

Of  joy  or  sorrow. 

Mary  Frances  Butts. 


LET  us  bow  our  souls  and  say, "  Behold  the 
handmaid  of  the  Lord  !  "  Let  us  lift  up 
our  hearts  and  ask,  "  Lord,  what  wouldst 
thou  have  me  to  do  ?  "  Then  light  from  the 
opened  heaven  shall  stream  on  our  daily  task, 
revealing  the  grains  of  gold,  where  yesterday  all 
seemed  dust;  a  hand  shall  sustain  us  and  our 
daily  burden,  so  that,  smiling  at  yesterday's  fears, 
we  shall  say,  "  This  is  easy^  this  is  light ; "  every 
"  lion  in  the  way,"  as  we  come  up  to  it,  shall 
be  seen  chained,  and  leave  open  the  gates  of  the 
Palace  Beautiful ;  and  to  us,  even  to  us,  feeble 
and  fluctuating  as  we  are,  ministries  shall  be  as- 
signed, and  through  our  hands  blessings  shall  be 
conveyed  in  which  the  spirits  of  just  men  made 
perfect  might  delight. 

Elizabeth  Charles. 


February  28  59 

Beloved^  let  us  love  one  another :  for  love  is  of  ' 
God;  and  every  one  that  loveth  is  born  of  God^  and  ( 
knoweth  God.  —  I  John  ivo  7. 


So  to  the  calmly  gathered  thought 
The  innermost  of  life  is  taught, 
The  mystery  dimly^inderstood. 
That  love  of  God  is  love  of  good  ; 
That  to  be  saved  is  only  this,  ^ 
Salvation  from  our  selfishness. 

J.  G.  Whittier. 


THE  Spirit  of  Love,  wherever  it  is,  is  its* 
own  blessing  and  happiness,  because  it  isi 
the  truth  and  reality  of  God  in  the  soul ; 
and  therefore  is  in  the  same  joy  of  life,  and  is 
the  same  good  to  itself  everywhere  and  on  every 
occasion.  Would  you  know  the  blessing  of  all 
blessings?  It  is  this  God  of  Love  dwelling  in 
your  soul,  and  killing  every  root  of  bitterness, 
which  is  the  pain  and  torment  of  ever}'  earthly, 
selfish  love.  For  all  wants  are  satisfied,  all  dis- 
orders of  nature  are  removed,  no  life  is  any 
longer  a  burden,  every  day  is  a  day  of  peace, 
everything  you  meet  becomes  a  help  to  you,  be- 
cause everything  you  see  or  do  is  all  done  in  the 
sweet,  gentle  element  of  Love. 

Wm.  Law. 


6o  .February  29 

Unto  you  that  fear  my  name  shall  the  Sun  of 
Righteousness  arise  with  healing  in  his  wings.  — 
Mal.  iv.  2. 

O  send  out  Thy  light  and  Thy  truth :  let  them 
lead  me.  —  Ps.  xliii.  3. 

Open  our  eyes,  thou  Sun  of  life  and  gladness, 

That  we  may  sec  that  glorious  world  of  Thine  ! 
It  shines  for  us  in  vain,  while  drooping  sadness 
Enfolds  us  here  like  mist ;  come.  Power  benign. 
Touch  our  chilled  hearts  with  vernal  smile. 
Our  wintry  course  do  Thou  beguile. 
Nor  by  the  wayside  ruins  let  us  mourn. 
Who  have  th'  eternal  towers  for  our  appointed  bourn. 

J.   Keble. 

BECAUSE  all  those  scattered  rays  of  beauty 
and  loveliness  which  we  behold  spread  up 
and  down  over  all  the  world,  are  only  the 
emanations  of  that  inexhausted  light  which  is 
above ;  therefore  should  we  love  them  all  in  that, 
and  climb  up  always  by  those  sunbeams  unto  the 
eternal  Father  of  lights :  we  should  look  upon 
Him,  and  take  from  Him  the  pattern  of  our  lives, 
and  always  eying  Him,  should,  as  Hierocles 
speaks,  "polish  and  shape  our  souls  into  the 
clearest  resemblance  of  Him  ;  "  and  in  all  our 
behavior  in  this  world  (that  great  temple  of  His) 
deport  ourselves  decently  and  reverently,  with 
that  humility,  meekness,  and  modesty  that  be- 
comes His  house. 

Dr.  John  Smith. 


March  i  6i 

Take  no  thought  for  your  life^  what  ye  shall  eat^ 
or  what  ye  shall  drink  i  nor  yet  for  your  body^  what 
ye  shall  put  on.  —  Matt.  vi.  25. 

One  there  lives  whose  guardian  eye 
Guides  our  earthly  destiny  5 
One  there  lives,  who,  Lord  of  all, 
Keeps  His  children  lest  they  fall  ; 
Pass  we,  then,  in  love  and  praise. 
Trusting  Him  through  all  our  days, 
Free  from  doubt  and  faithless  sorrow,  — 
God  provideth  for  the  morrow. 

R.  Heber. 

IT  has  been  well  said  that  no  man  ever  sank 
under  the  burden  of  the  day.  It  is  wb'^n 
to-morrow's  burden  is  added  to  the  burflx^n 
of  to-day  that  the  weight  is  more  than  a  man 
can  bear.  Never  load  yourselves  so,  my  friends. 
If  you  find  yourselves  so  loaded,  at  least  remem- 
ber this  :  it  is  your  own  doing,  not  God's.  He 
begs  you  to  leave  the  future  to  Him,  and  mind 
the  present. 

G.  Macdonald. 

Cast  thy  burdens  upon  the  Lord^  —  hand  it  over, 
heave  it  upon  Him,  —  and  He  shall  sustain  thee ; 
shall  bear  both,  if  thou  trust  Him  with  both, 
both  thee  and  thy  burden  :  He  shall  never  suffer 
the  righteous  to  be  moved. 

Robert  Leighton 


62  March  2 

But  to  do  good  and  to  communicate  forget  not : 
for  with  such  sacrifices  God  is  well  pleased.^ 
Heb.  xiii.  16. 

For  this  is  the  message  that  ye  heard  from  the 
beginning^  that  we  should  love  one  another. —  i 
John  iii.  11,, 

Be  useful  where  thou  Hvest,  that  they  may 
Both  want  and  wish  thy  pleasing  presence  still. 

.     *      Find  out  men's  wants  and  will. 
And  meet  them  there.    All  worldly  joys  go  less 
To  the  one  joy  of  doing  kindnesses. 

G.  Herbert. 

LET  the  weakest,  let  the  humblest  remem- 
ber, that  in  his  daily  course  he  can,  if  he 
will,  shed  around  him  almost  a  heaven. 
Kindly  words,  sympathizing  attentions,  watch- 
fulness against  wounding  men's  sensitiveness,  — 
these  cost  very  little,  but  they  are  priceless  in 
their  value.  Are  they  not  almost  the  staple  of 
our  daily  happiness  ?  From  hour  to  hour,  from 
moment  to  moment,  we  are  supported,  blest,  by 
small  kindnesses.  F.  W.  Robertson. 


Small  kindnesses,  small  courtesies,  small 
considerations,  habitually  practised  in  our  social 
intercourse,  give  a  greater  charm  to  the  charac- 
ter than  the  display  of  great  talents  and  accom- 
plishments. M.  A.  Keltv. 


March  3  63 


/  madi  haste^  and  delayed  not  to  keep  Thy  co,/t' 
mandments.  —  Ps.  cxix.  6o. 

Ye  know  not  what  shall  be  on  the  morrow,^^ 
James  iv.  14. 


Never  delay 
To  do  the  duty  which  the  hour  brings. 
Whether  it  be  in  great  or  smaller  things  } 

For  who  doth  know 
What  he  shall  do  the  coming  day  ? 

Anon. 

IT  is  quite  impossible  that  an  idle,  floating 
spirit  can  ever  look  up  with  clear  eye  to 
God  ;  spreading  its  miserable  anarchy  before 
the  symmetry  of  the  creative  Mind ;  in  the 
midst  of  a  disorderly  being,  that  has  neither 
centre  nor  circumference,  kneeling  beneath  the 
glorious  sky,  that  everywhere  has  both ;  and  for 
a  life  that  is  all  failure,  turning  to  the  Lord  of 
the  silent  stars,  of  whose  punctual  thought  it  is, 
that  "  not  one  faileth."  The  heavens,  with 
their  everlasting  faithfulness,  look  down  on  no 
sadder  contradiction,  than  the  sluggard  and  the 
slattern  in  their  prayers. 

J.  Martin  EAU. 


64  March  4 

But  the  souls  of  the  righteous  are  in  the  hand  of 
God^  and  there  shall  no  torment  touch  them.  In 
the  sight  of  the  unwise  they  seemed  to  die  :  and 
their  departure  is  taken  for  misery^  and  their  going 
from  us  to  be  utter  destruction :  but  they  are  in 
peace. — Wisdom  of  Solomon  iii.  1-3. 

But  souls  that  of  His  own  good  life  partake. 
He  loves  as  His  own  self;  dear  as  His  eye 
They  are  to  Him  :  He  '11  never  them  forsake  : 
When  they  shall  die,  then  God  Himself  shall  die  ; 
They  live,  they  live  tn  blest  eternity. 

Henry  More. 

THOUGH  every  good  man  is  not  so  logi- 
cally subtile  as  to  be  able  by  fit  mediums 
to  demonstrate  his  own  immortality,  yet 
he  sees  it  in  a  higher  light :  his  soul,  being 
purged  and  enlightened  by  true  sanctity,  is  more 
capable  of  those  divine  irradiations,  whereby  it 
feels  itself  in  conjunction  with  God.  It  knows 
that  God  will  never  forsake  His  own  life  which 
He  hath  quickened  in  it ;  He  will  never  deny 
those  ardent  desires  of  a  blissful  fruition  of 
Himself,  which  the  lively  sense  of  His  own 
goodness  hath  excited  within  it:/uiose  breath- 
ings and  gaspings  after  an  eternalparticipation 
of  Him  are  but  the  energy  of  His  own  breath 
within  us;  if  He  had  had  any  mind  to  destroy 
it,  He  would  never  have  shown  it  such  things 
as  He  hath  doneT^  Dr.  John  Smith. 


March  5  65 

And  every  man  that  hath  this  hope  in  him  puri- 
fieth  himself^  even  as  He  is  pure.  —  I  JoHN  iii.  3. 


Now,  Lord,  what  wait  I  for  ? 

On  Thee  alone 
My  hope  is  all  rested,  — 

Lord,  seal  me  Thine  own  ! 
Only  Thine  own  to  be. 
Only  to  live  to  Thee. 

Thine,  with  each  day  beg^n. 
Thine,  with  each  set  of  sun. 
Thine,  till  my  work  is  done. 

Anna  Warner, 


NOW,  believe  me,  God  hides  some  ideal  in 
every  human  soul.  At  some  time  in  our 
life  we  feel  a  trembling,  fearful  longing 
to  do  some  good  thing.  Life  finds  its  noblest 
spring  of  excellence  in  this  hidden  impulse  to  do 
our  best.  There  is  a  time  when  we  are  not 
content  to  be  such  merchants  or  doctors  or 
lawyers  as  we  see  on  the  dead  level  or  below  it. 
The  woman  longs  to  glorify  her  womanhood  as 
sister,  wife,  or  mother.  Here  is  God,  —  God 
standing  silently  at  the  door  all  day  long, —  God 
whispering  to  the  soul,  that  to  be  pure  and  true 
IS  to  succeed  in  life,  and  whatever  we  get  short 
of  that  will  burn  up  like  stubble,  though  the 
whole  world  try  to  save  it. 

Robert  Collyer. 


66  March  6 

Tht  shadow  of  a  great  rock  In  a  weary  land.  — 
IsA.  xxxii.  2. 

In  returning  and  rest  shall  ye   be  saved ;    in 
quietness  and  in  confidence  shall  be  your  strength.  — 

ISA.  XXX.    15. 

O  Shadow  in  a  sultry  land  ! 

We  gather  to  Thy  breast, 
Whose  love,  enfolding  like  the  night, 

Brings  quietude  and  rest. 
Glimpse  of  the  fairer  life  to  be, 

In  foretaste  here  possessed. 

C.  M.  Packard 

STRIVE  to  see  God  in  all  things  withoul 
exception,  and  acquiesce  in  His  will  with 
absolute  submission.  Do  everything  fo» 
God,  uniting  yourself  to  Him  by  a  mere  upward 
glance,  or  by  the  overflowing  of  your  heart 
towards  Him.  Never  be  in  a  hurry  ;  do  every-" 
thing  quietly  and  in  a  calm  spirit.  Do  not  lose 
your  inward  peace  for  anything  whatsoever,  even 
if  your  whole  world  seems  upset.  Commend  all 
to  God,  and  then  lie  still  and  be  at  rest  in  His 
bosom.  Whatever  happens,  abide  steadfast  in  a 
determination  to  cling  simply  to  God,  trusting 
to  His  eternal  love  for  you  ;  and  if  you  find  that 
you  have  wandered  forth  from  this  shelter,  recall 
your  heart  quietly  and  simply.  Maintain  a  hol)i 
simplicity  of  mind,  and  do  not  smother  yourself 
with  a  host  of  cares,  wishes,  or  longings,  undei 
any  pretext^  St.  Francis  de  Sales. 


March  7  67 

There  are  diversities  of  operations^  but  it  is  the 
fame  God  which  worketh  all  in  all.  —  I  CoR. 
xii.  6. 

J  form  the  light ^  and  create  darkness  :  I  make 
peace,  and  create  evil:  I  the  Lord  do  all  these 
things.  —  Is  A.  xlv.  7. 

"  All  is  of  God  that  Is,  and  is  to  be  ; 
And  God  is  good."     Let  this  suffice  us  still, 
Resting  in  childlike  trust  upon  His  will, 
Who  moves  to  His  great  ends,  untnwarted  by  the  ill. 

J.  G.   Whittier. 

THIS,  then,  is  of  faith,  that  everything,  the 
very  least,  or  what  seems  to  us  great, 
every  change  of  the  seasons,  everything 
which  touches  us  in  mind,  body,  or  estate, 
whether  brought  about  through  this  outward 
senseless  nature,  or  by  the  will  of  man,  good  or 
bad,  is  overruled  to  each  of  us  by  the  all-holy 
and  all-loving  will  of  God.  Whatever  befalls 
us,  however  it  befalls  us,  we  must  receive  as  the 
will  of  God.  If  it  befalls  us  through  man's 
negligence,  or  ill-will,  or  anger,  still  it  is,  in 
every  the  least  circumstance,  to  us  the  will  of 
God.  For  if  the  least  thing  could  happen  to  us 
without  God's  permission,  it  would  be  something 
out  of  God's  control.  God's  providence  or  His 
love  would  not  be  what  they  are.  Almighty 
God  Himself  would  not  be  the  same  God ;  not 
the  God  whom  we  believe,  adore,  and  love. 

E.    B.    PUSEY, 


68  March  b 

Study  to  show  thyself  approved  unto  God^  a  work- 
man that  needeth  not  to  he  ashamed. —  2  Tim. 
ii.  15. 

^nd  let  us  not  be  weary  in  well-doing  :  for  in 
due  season  we  shall  reap  if  we  faint  not.  —  Gal. 
vi.  9. 

The  task  Thy  wisdom  hath  assigned, 

Oh,  let  me  cheerfully  fulfil  ; 
In  all  my  works  Thy  presence  find, 
And  prove  Thine  acceptable  will. 

C.  Wesley. 

"TTTHAT  is  my  next  duty  ?  What  is  the 
\\  thing  that  lies  nearest  to  me?" 
*'  That  belongs  to  your  every-day  his- 
tory. No  one  can  answer  that  question  but 
yourself.  Your  next  duty  is  just  to  determine 
what  your  next  duty  is.  Is  there  nothing  you 
neglect  ?  Is  there  nothing  you  know  you  ought 
not  to  do  ?  You  would  know  your  duty,  if  you 
thought  in  earnest  about  it,  and  were  not  ambi- 
tious of  great  things."  *'  Ah,  then,"  responded 
she,  "  I  suppose  it  is  something  very  common- 
place, which  will  make  life  more  dreary  than 
ever.  That  cannot  help  me."  "  It  will,  if  it 
be  as  dreary  as  reading  the  newspapers  to  an  old 
deaf  aunt.  It  will  soon  lead  you  to  something 
more.  Your  duty  will  begin  to  comfort  you  at 
once,  but  will  at  length  open  the  unknown  foun- 
tain of  life  in  your  heart." 

G.   Macdonald. 


March  9  69 


Thou  shalt  rejoice  before  the  Lord  thy   God  in  ') 
all  that  thou  putt  est  thine  hands   unto.  —  Deut.  ^ 

xii.  18.  ^ 

Be  ye  thankful.  — Col.  iii.  15. 


Thou  that  hast  given  so  much  to  me, 
Give  one  thing  more,  a  grateful  heart. 
Not  thankful  when  it  pleaseth  me. 
As  if  thy  blessings  had  spare  days  ; 
But  such  a  heart,  whose  pulse  may  be 
Thy  praise. 

G.  Herbert. 


IF  any  one  would  tell  you  the  shortest,  surest 
way  to  all  happiness  and  all  perfection,  he 
must  tell  you  to  make  it  a  rule  to  yourself  to 
thank  and  praise  God  for  everything  that  hap- 
pens to  you.  For  it  is  certain  that  whatever 
seeming  calamity  happens  to  you,  if  you  thank 
and  praise  God  for  it,  you  turn  it  into  a  blessing. 
Could  you,  therefore,  work  miracles,  you  could 
not  do  more  for  yourself  than  by  this  thankful 
spirit  J  for  it  heals  with  a  word  speaking,  and 
turns  all  that  it  touches  into  happiness. 

Wm.  Law. 


70  March  lo 

When  thou  passest  through  the  waters^  I  will  be 
with  thee;  and  through  the  rivers^  they  shall  not 
overflow  thee :  when  thou  walkest  through  the  fire,, 
thou  shalt  not  be  burned ;  neither  shall  the  Jlarne 
kindle  upon  thee.  —  Is  A.  xliii.  2. 

I  am  with  thee  to  deliver  thee.  — Jer.  i.  8. 

When  through  the  deep  waters  I  call  thee  to  go, 
The  rivers  of  sorrow  shall  not  overflow  ; 
For  I  will  be  with  thee  thy  troubles  to  bless, 
And  sanctify  to  thee  thy  deepest  distress.        Anon. 

TURN  it  as  thou  wilt,  thou  must  give  thy- 
self to  suffer  what  is  appointed  thee.  But 
if  we  did  that,  God  would  bear  us  up  at 
all  times  in  all  our  sorrows  and  troubles,  and 
God  would  lay  His  shoulder  under  our  burdens, 
and  help  us  to  bear  them.  For  if,  with  a  cheer- 
ful courage,  we  submitted  ourselves  to  God,  no 
suffering  would  be  unbearable.J  J.  Tauler. 

Learn  to  be  as  the  angel,  who  could  descend 
among  the  miseries  of  Bethesda  without  losing 
his  heavenly  purity  or  his  perfect  happiness. 
Gain  healing  from  troubled  waters.  Make  up 
your  mind  to  the  prospect  of  sustaining  a  certain 
measure  of  pain  and  trouble  in  your  passage 
through  life.  By  the  blessing  of  God  this  will 
}  prepare  you  for  it ;  it  will  make  you  thought- 
j  ful  and  resigned  without  interfering  with  your 
cheerfulness.  J.  H.  NEWMA^f. 


March  ii  71 

Cast  thy  burden  upon  the  Lord^  and  He  shall 
sustain  thee:  He  shall  never  suffer  the  righteous 
to  be  moved.  —  Ps.  Iv.  22. 


Now  our  wants  and  burdens  leaving 

To  His  care  who  cares  for  all, 
Cease  we  fearing,  cease  we  grieving, 

At  His  touch  our  burdens  fall. 

S.  Longfellow. 


THE  circumstances  of  her  life  she  could  not 
alter,  but  she  took  them  to  the  Lord,  and 
handed  them  over  into  His  management ; 
and  then  she  believed  that  He  took  it,  and  she 
left  all  the  responsibility  and  the  worry  and 
anxiety  with  Him.  As  often  as  the  anxieties 
returned  she  took  them  back  ;  and  the  result 
was  that,  although  the  circumstances  remained 
unchanged,  her  soul  was  kept  in  perfect  peace 
in  the  midst  of  them.  And  the  secret  she  found 
so  effectual  in  her  outward  affairs,  she  found  to 
be  still  more  effectual  in  her  inward  ones,  which 
were  in  truth  even  more  utterly  unmanageable. 
She  abandoned  her  whole  self  to  the  Lord,  with 
all  that  she  was  and  all  that  she  had  ;  and, 
believing  that  He  took  that  which  she  had  com- 
mitted to  Him,  she  ceased  to  fret  and  worry, 
and  her  life  became  all  sunshine  in  the  gladness 
of  belonging  to  Him. 

H.  W,  Smith, 


72  March  12 

The  Lord  bless  thee^  and  keep  thee:  the  Lord 
make  His  face  shine  upon  thee^  and  be  gracious  unto 
thee:  the  Lord  lift  up  His  countenance  upon  thee^ 
and  give  thee  peace.  —  NuM.)vi.  24-26. 

O  Love,  how  cheering  is  Thy  ray  ! 

All  pain  before  Thy  presence  flies  j 
Care,  anguish,  sorrow,  melt  away, 

Where'er  Thy  healing  beams  arise. 
O  Father,  nothing  may  I  see. 
Nothing  desire,  or  seek,  but  Thee. 

P.  Gerhardt. 

THERE  is  a  faith  in  God,  and  a  clear  per- 
ception of  His  will  and  designs,  and 
providence,  ?nd  glory,  which  gives  to  its 
possessor  a  confidence  and  patience  and  sweet 
composure,  under  every  varied  and  troubling 
aspect  of  events,  such  as  no  man  can  realize 
who  has  not  felt  its  influences  in  his  own  heart. 
There  is  a  communion  with  God,  in  which  the 
soul  feels  the  presence  of  the  unseen  One,  in 
the  profound  depths  of  its  being,  with  a  vivid 
distinctness  and  a  holy  reverence,  such  as  no 
words  can  describe.  There  is  a  state  of  union 
with  God,  I  do  not  say  often  reached,  yet  it 
has  been  attained  in  this  world,  in  which  all 
the  past  and  present  and  future  seem  reconciled, 
and  eternity  is  won  and  enjoyed  ;  and  God  and 
man,  earth  and  heaven,  with  all  their  mysteries, 
are  apprehended  in  truth  as  they  lie  in  the  mind 
of  the  Infinite.  Samuel  D.  Robbins. 


March  13  73 

He  that  abideth  in  me^  and  I  in  bim^  hringeth 
forth  much  fruit.  — John  xv.  5. 

Let  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  be  upon  us. 
—  Ps.  xc.  17. 


As  some  rare  perfume  in  a  vase  of  clay 
Pervades  it  with  a  fragrance  not  its  own, 

So,  when  Thou  dwellest  in  a  mortal  soul, 

All  Heaven's  own  sweetness  seems  around  it  thrown. 

H.  B.  Stowe. 


SOME  glances  of  real  beauty  may  be  seen  in 
their  faces,  who  dwell   in  true  meekness. 
There  is  a  harmony  in  the  sound  of  that 
voice  to  which  Divine  love  gives  utterance,  and 
some  appearance  of  right  order  in  their  temper 
and  conduct  whose  passions  are  regulated. 

John  Woolman. 

I  BELIEVE  that  no  Divine  truth  can  truly  dwell 
in  any  heart,  without  an  external  testimony  in 
manner,  bearing,  and  appearance,  that  must  reach 
the  witness  within  the  heart  of  the  beholder,  and 
bear  an  unmistakable,  though  silent,  evidence  to 
the  eternal  principle  from  which  it  emanates. 

M.  A-  SCHIMMELPENNINCK. 


74  March  14 

/  have  called  upon  Thee^  for  Thou  wilt  hear  me^ 
O  God:  incline  Thine  ear  unto  me^  and  hear  my 
speech.  —  Ps.  xvii.  6. 

Te  people^  pour  out  your  heart  before  Him  :  God 
is  a  refuge  for  us.  —  Ps.  Ixii.  8. 

Whate'er  the  care  which  breaks  thy  rest, 

iWhate'er  the  wish  that  swells  thy  breast ; 
Spread  before  God  that  wish,  that  care, 
And  change  anxiety  to  prayer. 
Jane  Crewdson. 


T 


ROUBLE  and  perplexity  drive  us  to 
prayer,  and  prayer  driveth  away  trouble 
and  perplexity. 

P.  Melancthon. 


Whatsoever  it  is  that  presses  thee,  go  tell  thy 
Father ;  put  over  the  matter  into  His  hand,  and 
so  thou  shalt  be  freed  from  that  dividing,  per- 
plexing care  that  the  world  is  full  of.  When 
thou  art  either  to  do  or  suffer  anything,  when 
thou  art  about  any  purpose  or  business,  go  tell 
God  of  it,  and  acquaint  Him  with  it}  yea, 
burden  Him  with  it,  and  thou  hast  done  for 
matter  of  caring ;  no  more  care,  but  quiet, 
sweet  diligence  in  thy  duty,  and  dependence  on 
Him  for  the  carriage  of  thy  matters.  Roll  thy 
cares,  and  thyself  with  them,  as  one  burden,  all 
on  thy  God. 

R.  Leighton. 


March  15  75 

Hear  me^  O  Lord^  for  Thy  loving-kindness  is 
good :  turn  unto  me  according  to  the  multitude  of 
Thy  tender  mercies.  —  Ps.  Ixix.  i6. 

Let^  I  pray  Thee^  Thy  merciful  kindness  be  for 
my  comfort^  according  to  Thy  word  unto  Thy 
servant.  —  Ps.  cxix.  76. 


Love  divine  has  seen  and  counted 

Every  tear  it  caused  to  fall  } 
And  the  storm  which  Love  appointed 

Was  its  choicest  gift  of  all. 

Anon. 


OTHAT  thou  couldst  dwell  in  the  knowl- 
edge and  sense  of  this  !  even,  that  the 
Lord  beholds  thy  sufferings  with  an  eye 
of  pity ;  and  is  able,  not  only  to  uphold  thee 
under  them,  but  also  to  do  thee  good  by  them. 
Therefore,  grieve  not  at  thy  lot,  be  not  discon- 
tented, look  not  out  at  the  hardness  of  thy  con- 
dition ;  but,  when  the  storm  and  matters  of 
vexation  are  sharp,  look  up  to  Him  who  can 
give  meekness  and  patience,  can  lift  up  thy  head 
over  all,  and  cause  thy  life  to  grow,  and  be  a 
gainer  by  all.  If  the  Lord  God  help  thee  pro- 
portionably  to  thy  condition  of  affliction  and 
distress,  thou  wilt  have  no  cause  to  complain, 
but  to  bless  His  nam?, 

PENINGTOff, 


76  March  i6 

Whether  therefore  ye  eat^  or  drink^  or  whatso- 
ever ye  do^  do  all  to  the  glory  of  God.  —  i  CoR. 
X.   31. 

IVith  good  will  doing  service^  as  to  the  Lord^  and 
not  unto  men.  — Eph.  vi.  7. 

A  SERVANT,  with  this  clause. 

Makes  drudgery  divine  : 
Who  sweeps  a  room ,  as  for  Thy  laws, 

Makes  that  and  th'  action  fine. 

G.  Herbert. 

SURELY  the  truth  must  be,  that  whatsoever 
in  our  daily  life  is  lawful  and  right  for  us 
to  be  engaged  in,  is  in  itself  a  part  of  our 
obedience  to  God  ;  a  part,  that  is,  of  our  very 
religion.  Whensoever  we  hear  people  complain- 
ing of  obstructions  and  hindrances  put  by  the 
duties  of  life  in  the  way  of  devoting  themselves 
to  God,  we  may  be  sure  they  are  under  some 
false  view  or  other.  They  do  not  look  upon 
their  daily  work  as  the  task  God  has  set  them, 
and  as  obedience  due  to  Him.  We  may  go 
farther ;  and  say,  not  only  that  the  duties  of 
life,  be  they  never  so  toilsome  and  distracting, 
are  no  obstructions  to  a  life  of  any  degree  of 
inward  holiness ;  but  that  they  are  even  direct 
means,  when  rightly  used,  to  promote  our 
sanctification. 

H.  E.  Manning. 


March  17  77 


Where  hast  thou  gleaned  to-day  ? —  Ruth  ii.  19. 


What  have  I  learnt  where'er  I've  been, 
From  all  I've  heard,  from  all  I  've  seen  ? 
What  know  I  more  that's  worth  the  knowing? 
What  have  I  done  that  's  worth  the  doing  ? 
What  have  I  sought  that  I  should  shun  ? 
What  duties  have  I  left  undone  ? 

Pythagoras. 


ALL  of  this  world  will  soon  have  passed 
away.  But  God  will  remain,  and  thou, 
whatever  thou  hast  become,  good  or  bad. 
Thy  deeds  now  are  the  seed-corn  of  eternity. 
Each  single  act,  in  each  several  day,  good  or 
bad,  is  a  portion  of  that  seed.  Each  day  adds 
some  line,  making  thee  more  or  less  like  Him, 
more  or  less  capable  of  His  love. 

E.    B.    PUSEY. 


There  is  something  very  solemn  in  the 
thought  that  that  part  of  our  work  which  we 
have  left  undone  may  first  be  revealed  to  us  at 
the  end  of  a  life  filled  up,  as  we  had  fondly 
hoped,  with  useful  and  necessary  employments. 

Sarah  W.  Stephen. 


78  March  i8 

Finally^  be  ye  all  of  one  mind^  having  compassion 
one  of  another^  love  as  brethren^  be  pitiful^  be 
courteous.  —  i  Peter  iii.  8. 


Make  us  of  one  heart  and  mind  ; 
Courteous,  pitiful,  and  kind  ; 
Lowly,  meek,  in  thought  and  word, 
Altogether  like  our  Lord. 

C.  Weslev. 


A  LITTLE  thought  will  show  you  how 
vastly  your  own  happiness  depends  on  the 
way  other  people  bear  themselves  toward 
you.  The  looks  and  tones  at  your  breakfast- 
table,  the  conduct  of  your  fellow-workers  or 
employers,  the  faithful  or  unreliable  men  you 
deal  with,  what  people  say  to  you  on  the  street, 
the  way  your  cook  and  housemaid  do  their  work, 
the  letters  you  get,  the  friends  or  foes  you  meet, 
—  these  things  make  up  very  much  of  the  pleas- 
ure or  misery  of  your  day.  Turn  the  idea 
around,  and  remember  that  just  so  much  are 
you  adding  to  the  pleasure  or  the  misery  of  other 
people's  days.  And  this  is  the  half  of  the  mat- 
ter which  you  can  control.  Whether  any  par- 
ticular day  shall  bring  to  you  more  of  happiness 
or  of  suffering  is  largely  beyond  your  power  to 
determine.  Whether  each  day  of  your  life  shall 
^ive  happiness  or  suffering  rests  with  yourself. 

George  S.  Merriam. 


March  19  79 

Showing  all  good  fidelity^  that  they  may  adorn 
the  doctrine  of  God  our  Saviour  in  all  things.  — 
Titus  ii.  10. 

If  on  our  daily  course  our  mind 

Be  set  to  hallow  all  we  find, 

New  treasures  still,  of  countless  price, 

God  will  provide  for  sacrifice.  j    Keble 

IF    content   and   thankfulness,  if  the  patient 
bearing  of  evil,  be  duties  to  God,  they  are 
the  duties  of  every  day,  and  in  every  circum- 
stance of  our  life.     If  we  are  to  follow  Christ, 
it  must  be  in  our  common  way  of  spending  every 
day.  Wm.  Law. 

He  who  is  faithful  over  a  few  things  is  a  lord 
of  cities.  It  does  not  matter  whether  you  preach 
in  Westminster  Abbey,  or  teach  a  ragged  class, 
so  you  be  faithful.     The  faithfulness  is  all. 

G.  Macdonald. 

I  WOULD  have  you  invoke  God  often  through  ( 
the  day,  asking  Him  to  kindle  a  love  for  your^ 
vocation  within  you,  and  saying  with  St.  Paul, 
"'Lord,  what  wouldst  Thou  have  me  to  do?*' 
Wouldst  Thou  have  me  serve  Thee  in  the  low- 1 
est  ministries  of  Thy  house  ?  too  happy  if  I  may  1 
l>ut  serve  Thee  anyhow."  And  when  any  spe-^ 
cial  thing  is  repugnant  to  you,  ask  "  Wouldsti 
Thou  have  me  do  it?  Then,  unworthy  thought 
I  be,  I  will  do  it  gladly."     St.  Francis  de  Sales. 


8o  March  20 

Thou  shalt  worship  the  Lord  thy  God^  and  Him 
only  shalt  thou  serve.  —  Matt.  iv.  10. 

Blessed  are  they  that  keep  His  testimonies^  and 
that  seek  Him  with  the  whole  heart.  — Ps.  cxix.  2. 


The  comfort  of  a  mind  at  rest 
From  every  care  Thou  hast  not  blest ; 
A  heart  from  all  the  world  set  free, 
To  worship  and  to  wait  on  Thee. 

A.  L.   Waring. 


RESIGN  every  forbidden  joy  ;  restrain  every 
wish  that  is  not  referred  to  His  will ;  ban- 
ish all  eager  desires,  all  anxiety.     Desire 
only  the  will  of  God  ;  seek  Him  alone,  and  you 
will  find  peace. 

FRAN9OIS    DE    LA    MOTHE    FeNELON. 

"  I  'VE  been  a  great  deal  happier  since  I  have 
given  up  thinking  about  what  is  easy  and  pleas- 
ant, and  being  discontented  because  I  could  n't 
have  my  own  will.  Our  life  is  determined  for 
us;  and  it  makes  the  mind  very  free  when  we 
give  up  wishing,  and  only  think  of  bearing  what 
is  laid  upon  us,  and  doing  what  is  given  us  to 
do." 

George  Eliot 


March  21  81 


Tour  heavenly  Father  knoweth  that  ye  have  need 
of  all  these  things.  —  Matt.  vi.  32. 


All  as  God  wills,  who  wisely  heeds 

To  give  or  to  withhold  ; 
And  knoweth  more  of  all  my  needs 

Than  all  my  prayers  have  told. 

J.    G.  Whittier. 


LORD,  I  know  not  what  I  ought  to  ask  of 
Thee  ;  Thou  only  knowest  what  I  need  ; 
Thou  lovest  me  better  than  I  know  how 
to  love  myself".  O  Father !  give  to  Thy  child 
that  which  he  himself  knows  not  how  to  ask. 
I  dare  not  ask  either  for  crosses  or  consolations ; 
I  simply  present  myself  before  Thee  ;  I  open 
my  heart  to  Thee.  Behold  my  needs  which  I 
know  not  myself;  see,  and  do  according  to  Thy 
tender  mercy.  Smite,  or  heal ;  depress  me,  or 
raise  me  up ;  I  adore  all  Thy  purposes  without 
knowing  them  ;  I  am  silent ;  I  offer  myself  in 
sacrifice ;  I  yield  myself  to  Thee ;  I  would  have 
no  other  desire  than  to  accomplish  Thy  will., 
Teach  me  to  pray  -,  pray  Thyself  in  me. 

Francois  de  la  Mothe  Fenelon. 


82  March  22 

He  that  contemneth  small  things  shall  fall  bj 
little  and  little.  —  Ecclesiasticus  xix.  i. 


One  finger' s-breadth  at  hand  will  mar 
A  world  of  light  in  heaven  afar, 
A  mote  eclipse  a  glorious  star, 
An  eyelid  hide  the  sky. 

J.   Keble. 

A  SINGLE  sin,  however  apparently  trifling, 
however  hidden  in  some  obscure  corner 
of  our  consciousness,  —  a  sin  which  we 
do  not  intend  to  renounce^  —  is  enough  to  render 
real  prayer  impracticable.  A  course  of  action 
not  wholly  upright  and  honorable,  feelings  not 
entirely  kind  and  loving,  habits  not  spotlessly 
chaste  and  temperate,  —  any  of  these  are  impas- 
sable obstacles.  If  we  know  of  a  kind  act 
which  we  might,  but  do  not  intend  to,  perform, 
—  if  we  be  aware  that  our  moral  health  re- 
quires the  abandonment  of  some  pleasure  which 
yet  we  do  not  intend  to  abandon,  here  is  cause 
enough  for  the  loss  of  all  spiritual  power. 

F.    P.     COBBE. 

It  is  astonishing  how  soon  the  whole  con- 
science begins  to  unravel,  if  a  single  stitch 
drops  ;  one  little  sin  indulged  makes  a  hole  you 
could  put  your  head  through. 

Charles  Buxton. 


March  23  83 

Beloved^  thou  doest  faithfully  whatsoever  thou 
doest.  —  3  John  5. 

Jnd  this  also  we  wish,  even  your  perfection.  — • 
2  Cor.  xiii.  9. 

In  all  the  little  things  of  life. 

Thyself,  Lord,  may  I  see  ; 
In  little  and  in  great  alike 

Reveal  Thy  love  to  me. 

So  shall  my  undivided  life 

To  Thee,  my  God,  be  given  ; 

And  all  this  earthly  course  belowr 

Be  one  dear  path  to  heaven.       H.   Bonar. 

IN  order  to  mould  thee  into  entire  conformity 
to  His  will,  He  must  have  thee  pliable  in 
His  hands,  and  this  pliability  is  more  quickly 
reached  by  yielding  in  the  little  things  than  even 
by  the  greater.  Thy  one  great  desire  is  to 
follow  Him  fully ;  canst  thou  not  say  then  a 
continual  "yes"  to  all  His  sweet  commands, 
whether  small  or  great,  and  trust  Him  to  lead 
thee  by  the  shortest  road  to  thy  fullest  blessed- 
ness ? 

H.  W.  Smith. 

With  meekness,  humility,  and  diligence, 
apply  yourself  to  the  duties  of  your  condition. 
They  are  the  seemingly  little  things  Vhich  make 
no  noise  that  do  the  business. 

Henry  More. 


84  March  24 

/  will  both  lay  me  down  in  peace^  and  sleep :  for 
Thou^  Lord^  only  makest  me  dwell  in  safety.  — 
Ps.  iv.  8. 

He  giveth  His  beloved  sleep.  —  Ps.  cxxvii.  2. 

He  guides  our  feet,  He  guards  our  way, 
His  morning  smiles  bless  all  the  day  ; 
He  spreads  the  evening  veil,  and  keeps 
The  siient  hours  while  Israel  sleeps. 

I.   Watts, 

WE  sleep  in  peace  in  the  arms  of  God, 
when  we  yield  ourselves  up  to  His 
providence,  in  a  delightful  conscious- 
ness of  His  tender  mercies ;  no  more  restless 
uncertainties,  no  more  anxious  desires,  no  more 
impatience  at  the  place  we  are  inj  for  it  is  God 
who  has  put  us  there,  and  who  holds  us  in  His 
arms.  Can  we  be  unsafe  where  He  has  placed  us  ? 
Francois  de  la   Mothe  Fenelon. 

One  evening  when  Luther  saw  a  little  bird 
perched  on  a  tree,  to  roost  there  for  the  night, 
he  said,  "  This  little  bird  has  had  its  supper, 
and  now  it  is  getting  ready  to  go  to  sleep  here, 
quite  secure  and  content,  never  troubling  itself 
what  its  food  will  be,  or  where  its  lodging  on 
the  morrow.  Like  David,  it  '  abides  under  the 
shadow  of  the  Almighty.'  It  sits  on  its  little 
twig  content,  and  lets  God  take  care." 

Martin   Luther. 


March  25  85 


/  will  hear  what  God  the  Lord  will  speak : 
for  He  will  speak  peace  unto  His  people.  —  Ps. 
Ixxxv.  8. 


There  is  a  voice,  "a  still,  small  voice"  of  love, 

Heard  from  above  ; 
But  not  amidst  the  din  of  earthly  sounds. 

Which  here  confounds  j 
By  those  withdrawn  apart  it  best  is  heard, 
And  peace,  sweet  peace,  breathes  in  each  gentle  word. 

Anonymous. 


HE  speaketh,  but  it  is  with  us  to  hearken  or 
no.  It  is  much,  yea,  it  is  everything, 
not  to  turn  away  the  ear,  to  be  willing  to 
hearken,  not  to  drown  His  voice.  "  The  secret 
of  the  Lord  is  with  them  that  fear  Him."  It  is 
a  secret,  hushed  voice,  a  gentle  intercourse  of 
heart  to  heart,  a  still,  small  voice,  whispering  to 
the  inner  ear.  How  should  we  hear  it,  if  we 
fill  our  ears  and  our  hearts  with  the  din  of  this 
world,  its  empty  tumult,  its  excitement,  its  fret- 
ting vanities,  or  cares,  or  passions,  or  anxieties,  or 
show,  or  rivalries,  and  its  whirl  of  emptinesses  ? 

E.    B.    PUSEV.  / 


86  March  26 

Are  they   not  all  ministering  spirits? — Heb 

*•  ^4*  May  I  reach 

That  purest  heaven,  be  to  other  souls 
The  cup  of  strength  in  some  great  agony, 
Enkindle  generous  ardor,  feed  pure  love, 
Be  the  sweet  presence  of  a  good  diffused, 
And  in  diffusion  ever  more  intense  ! 
So  shall  I  join  the  choir  invisible 
Whose  music  is  the  gladness  of  the  world. 

George  Eliot. 

CERTAINLY,  in  our  own  little  sphere  it 
is  not  the  most  active  people  to  whom  we 
owe  the  most.  Among  the  common 
people  whom  we  know,  it  is  not  necessarily 
those  who  are  busiest,  not  those  who,  meteor- 
like, are  ever  on  the  rush  after  some  visible 
charge  and  work.  It  is  the  lives,  like  the  stars, 
which  simply  pour  down  on  us  the  calm  light  of 
their  bright  and  faithful  being,  up  to  which  we 
look  and  out  of  which  we  gather  the  deepest 
calm  and  courage.  It  seems  to  me  that  there  is 
reassurance  here  for  many  of  us  who  seem  to 
have  no  chance  for  active  usefulness.  We  can 
do  nothing  for  our  fellow-men.  But  still  it  is 
good  to  know  that  we  can  be  something  for  them  ; 
to  know  (and  this  we  may  know  surely)  that  no 
man  or  woman  of  the  humblest  sort  can  really 
be  strong,  gentle,  pure,  and  good,  without  the 
world  being  better  for  it,  without  somebody 
being  helped  and  comforted  by  the  very  exist- 
ence of  that  goodness.  Phillips  Brooks 


March  27  87 

If  we  love  one  another^  God  dwelleth  in  us^  and 
His  love  is  perfected  in  us.  —  i  John  iv.  12. 

And  he  that  keepeth  His  commandments  dwelleth 
in  Him,,  and  He  in  him.  And  hereby  we  know 
that  He  ahideth  in  us.,  by  the  Spirit  which  He 
hath  given  us.  —  i  John  iii.  24. 


Abide  in  me  ;  o'ershadow  by  Thy  love 
Each  half-formed  purpose  and  dark  thought  of  sin  } 
Quench,  ere  it  rise,  each  selfish,  low  desire, 
And  keep  my  soul  as  Thine,  calm  and  divine. 

H.  B.  Stowe 


THE  Spirit  of  Love  must  work  the  works, 
and  speak  the  tones,  of  Love.  It  cannot 
exist  and  give  no  sign,  or  a  false  sign. 
It  cannot  be  a  spirit  of  Love,  and  mantle  into 
irritable  and  selfish  impatience.  It  cannot  be  a 
spirit  of  Love,  and  at  the  same  time  make  self 
the  prominent  object.  It  cannot  rejoice  to  lend 
itself  to  the  happiness  of  others,  and  at  the  same 
time  be  seeking  its  own.  It  cannot  be  generous, 
and  envious.  It  cannot  be  sympathizing,  and 
unseemly ;  self-forgetful,  and  vain-glorious.  It 
cannot  delight  in  the  rectitude  and  purity  of 
other  hearts,  as  the  spiritual  elements  of  their 
peace,  and  yet  unnecessarily  suspect  them. 

J.  H,  Thom, 


88  March  28 

Giving  thanks  always  for  all  things  unto  God, 
—  Eph.  v.  20. 

For  blessings  of  the  fruitful  season, 

For  work  and  rest,  for  friends  and  home. 

For  the  great  gifts  of  thought  and  reason,  — 
To  praise  and  bless  Thee,  Lord,  we  come 

Yes,  and  for  weeping  and  for  wailing. 

For  bitter  hail  and  blighting  frost, 
For  high  hopes  on  the  low  earth  trailing. 

For  sweet  joys  missed,  for  pure  aims  crossed. 

E.    SCUDDER. 


NOTWITHSTANDING  all  that  I  have 
suffered,  notwithstanding  all  the  pain  and 
weariness  and  anxiety  and  sorrow  that 
necessarily  enter  into  life,  and  the  inward  errings 
that  are  worse  than  all,  I  would  end  my  record 
with  a  devout  thanksgiving  to  the  great  Author 
of  my  being.  For  more  and  more  am  I  unwill- 
ing to  make  my  gratitude  to  Him  what  is  com- 
monly called  "a  thanksgiving  for  mercies,"  — 
for  any  benefits  or  blessings  that  are  peculiar  to 
myself,  or  my  friends,  or  indeed  to  any  man. 
Instead  of  this,  I  would  have  it  to  be  gratitude 
for  all  that  belongs  to  my  life  and  being, —  for 
joy  and  sorrow,  for  health  and  sickness,  for  suc- 
cess and  disappointment,  for  virtue  and  for  temp- 
tation, for  life  and  death  ;  because  I  believe  that 
all  is  meant  for  good. 

Orville  Dewey 


March  29  89 

There  shall  no  evil  befall  thee. —  Ps.  xci.  10. 

IVhoio  hearkeneth   unto   Me  shall  dwell  safely^ 
and  shall  he  quiet  from  fear  of  evil.  —  Prov.  i.  33. 


I  ASK  not,  "  Take  away  this  weight  of  care  ;" 
No,  for  that  love  I  pray  that  all  can  bear. 

And  for  the  faith  that  whatsoe'er  befall 
Must  needs  be  good,  and  for  my  profit  prove, 
Since  from  my  Father's  heart  most  rich  in  love, 

And  from  His  bounteous  hands  it  cometh  all. 

C.  J.  P.  Spitta, 


BE  like  the  promontory,  against  which  the 
waves  continually  break ;  but  it  stands 
firm,  and  tames  the  fury  of  the  water 
around  it.  Unhappy  am  I,  because  this  has 
happened  to  me  ?  Not  so,  but  happy  am  I, 
though  this  has  happened  to  me,  because  I  con- 
tinue free  from  pain,  neither  crushed  by  the 
present,  nor  fearing  the  future.  Will  then  this 
which  has  happened  prevent  thee  from  being 
just,  magnanimous,  temperate,  prudent,  secure 
against  inconsiderate  opinions  and  falsehood  ? 
Remember,  too,  on  every  occasion  which  leads 
thee  to  vexation  to  apply  this  principle :  that 
this  is  not  a  misfortune,  but  that  to  bear  it  nobly 
is  good  fortune. 

Marcus  Antoninus, 


90  March  30 

Thou   shalt  guide  me   with     Thy  counsel^  and 
afterward  receive  me  to  glory.  —  Ps.  Ixxiii.  24. 

There  remaineth  therefore  a  rest  to  the  people  of 
God.  —  Heb.  iv.  9. 

Guide  us  through  life  ;  and  when  at  last 

We  enter  into  rest, 
Thy  tender  arms  around  us  cast, 

And  fold  us  to  Thy  breast. 

H.  F.  Lyte, 

GO  forth  to  meet  the  solemnities  and  to 
conquer  the  trials  of  existence,  believing 
in  a  Shepherd  of  your  souls.  Then  faith 
in  Him  will  suppon  you  in  duty,  and  duty  firmly 
done  will  strengthen  faith ;  till  at  last,  when  all 
is  over  here,  and  the  noise  and  strife  of  the 
earthly  battle  fades  upon  your  dying  ear,  and  you 
hear,  instead  thereof,  the  deep  and  musical  sound 
of  the  ocean  of  eternity,  and  see  the  lights  of 
heaven  shining  on  its  waters  still  and  fair  in 
their  radiant  rest,  your  faith  will  raise  the  song 
of  conquest,  and  in  its  retrospect  of  the  life 
which  has  ended,  and  its  forward  glance  upon 
the  life  to  come,  take  up  the  poetic  inspiration 
of  the  Hebrew  king,  "  Surely  goodness  and 
mercy  have  followed  me  all  the  days  of  my  life, 
and  I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord 
forever." 

Stopford  a.  Brooke. 


March  31  91 

Thou  shalt  be  in  league  with  the  stones  cf  the 
feld^  and  the  beasts  of  the  field  shall  be  at  peace 
with  thee.  And  thou  shalt  know  that  thy  tabernacle 
shall  be  in  peace.  —  Job  v.  23,  24. 


Love  had  he  found  In  huts  where  poor  men  lie  j 
His  daily  teachers  had  been  woods  and  rills. 
The  silence  that  is  in  the  starry  sky, 
The  sleep  that  is  among  the  lonely  hills. 

W.  Wordsworth. 


THAT  spirit  which  suffices  quiet  hearts, 
which  seems  to  come  forth  to  such  from 
every  dry  knoll  of  sere  grass,  from  every 
pine-stump,  and  half-embedded  stone,  on  which 
the  dull  March  sun  shines,  comes  forth  to  the 
poor  and  hungry,  and  to  such  as  are  of  simple 
taste.  If  thou  fill  thy  brain  with  Boston  and 
New  York,  with  fashion  and  covetousness, 
and  wilt  stimulate  thy  jaded  senses  with  wine 
and  French  coffee,  thou  shalt  find  no  radiance 
of  wisdom  in  the  lonely  waste  of  the  pine-woods. 

R.  W".  Emerson. 


As  a  countenance  is  made  beautiful  by  the 
soul's  shining  through  it,  so  the  world  is  beauti- 
ful by  the  shining  through  it  of  a  God. 

Friedrich  Heinrich  Jacobi. 


92  April  I 


For  Thou  Invest  all  the  things  that  are,  and 
abhorrest  nothing  which  Thou  hast  made :  for 
never  wouldest  Thou  have  made  any  thing,  if  Thou 
hadst  hated  it.  But  Thou  sparest  all :  for  they 
are  Thine,  O  Lord,  Thou  lover  nf  souls.  —  Wisdom 
OF  Solomon  xi.  24,  26. 


He  prayeth  well  who  loveth  well 

Both  man  and  bird  and  beast  ; 
He  prayeth  best  who  loveth  best 

All  things  both  great  and  small  j 
For  the  dear  God  who  loveth  us. 

He  made  and  loveth  all. 

S.  T.  Coleridge. 


TO  know  that  Love  alone  was  the  begin- 
ning of  nature  and  creature,  that  nothing 
but  Love  encompasses  the  whole  uni- 
verse of  things,  that  the  governing  Hand  that 
overrules  all,  the  watchful  Eye  that  sees  through 
all,  is  nothing  but  omnipotent  and  omniscient 
Love,  using  an  infinity  of  wisdom,  to  save  every 
misguided  creature  from  the  miserable  works 
of  its  own  hands,  and  make  happiness  and  glory 
the  perpetual  inheritance  of  all  the  creation,  is 
a  reflection  that  must  be  quite  ravishing  to  every 
intelligent  creature  that  is  sensible  of  it. 

Wm.  Law. 


April  2  93 


Know  ye  not  that  ye  are  the  temple  of  God^  and 
that  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelleth  in  you? —  i  Cor. 
iii.  i6. 

Father  !  replenish  with  Thy  grace 

This  longing  heart  of  mine  ; 
Make  it  Thy  quiet  dwelling-place, 

Thy  sacred  inmost  shrine! 

JOHANN    SCHEFFLER. 


NOT  man's  manifold  labors,  but  his  mani- 
fold cares,  hinder  the  presence  of  God. 
Whatsoever  thou  doest,  hush  thyself  to 
thine  own  feverish  vanities,  and  busy  thoughts, 
and  cares  \  in  silence  seek  thy  Father's  face,  and 
the  light  of  His  countenance  will  stream  down 
upon  thee.  He  will  make  a  secret  cell  in  thine 
heart,  and  when  thou  enterest  there,  there  shalt 
thou  find  Him.  And  if  thou  hast  found  Him 
there,  all  around  shall  reflect  Him,  all  shall  speak 
to  Him,  and  He  will  speak  through  all.  Out- 
wardly thou  mayest  be  doing  the  work  of  thy 
calling  ;  inwardly  if  thou  commend  thy  work  to 
God,  thou  mayest  be  with  Him  in  the  third 
Heaven. 

E.  B.  PusEv, 


94  April  3 

As  for  thee^  the  Lord  thy  God  hath  not  suffered 
thee  so  to  do.  —  Deut.  xviii.  14. 

Lord,  for  the  erring  thought 
Not  into  evil  wrought  } 
Lord,  for  the  wicked  will 
Betrayed  and  baffled  still  ; 
For  the  heart  from  itself  kept. 
Our  Thanksgiving  accept. 

W.   D.   HOWELLS. 

WHAT  an  amazing,  what  a  blessed  dis- 
proportion between  the  evil  we  do,  and 
the  evil  we  are  capable  of  doing,  and 
seem  sometimes  on  the  very  verge  of  doing ! 
If  my  soul  has  grown  tares,  when  it  was  full  of 
the  seeds  of  nightshade,  how  happy  ought  I  to 
be  !  And  that  the  tares  have  not  wholly  strangled 
the  wheat,  what  a  wonder  it  is  !  We  ought  to 
thank  God  daily  for  the  sins  we  have  not 
committed.  F.  W.  Faber. 

We  give  thanks  often  with  a  tearful,  doubt- 
ful voice,  for  our  spiritual  mercies  positive  ;  but 
what  an  almost  infinite  field  there  is  for  mercies 
negative !  We  cannot  even  imagine  all  that 
God  has  suffered  us  not  to  do,  not  to  be. 

F.  R.  Havergal. 

You  are  surprised  at  your  imperfections  — 
why  ?  I  should  infer  from  that,  that  your  self- 
knowledge  is  small.  Surely,  you  might  rather 
be  astonished  that  you  do  not  fall  into  more 
frequent  and  more  grievous  faults,  and  thank  God 
for  His  upholding  grace.        Jean  Nicolas  Grou. 


April  4  95 

fVell  done^  good  and  faithful  servant ;  thou  hast 
been  faithful  over  a  few  things^  I  will  make  thee 
ruler  over  many  things  :  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of 
thy  Lord.  —  Matt.  xxv.  23. 

O  Father!  help  us  to  resign 

Our  hearts,  our  strength,  our  wills  to  Thee  j 
Then  even  lowliest  work  of  Thine 

Most  noble,  blest,  and  sweet  will  be. 

H.  M.  Kimball. 

NOTHING  is  too  little  to  be  ordered  by 
our  Father ;   nothing  too  little  in  which 
to  see  His  hand  ;  nothing,  which  touches 
our  souls,  too  little  to  accept  from   Him  ;   noth- 
ing too  little  to  be  done  to  Him. 

E.    B.    PUSEY. 

A  SOUL  occupied  with  great  ideas  best  per- 
forms small  duties ;  the  divinest  views  of  life 
penetrate  most  clearly  into  the  meanest  emer- 
gencies ;  so  far  from  petty  principles  being  best 
proportioned  to  petty  trials,  a  heavenly  spirit 
taking  up  its  abode  with  us  can  alone  sustain 
well  the  daily  toils,  and  tranquilly  pass  the 
humiliations  of  our  condition. 

J.  Martineau. 

Whoso  neglects  a  thing  which  he  suspects  he 
ought  to  do,  because  it  seems  to  him  too  small  a 
thing,  is  deceiving  himself;  it  is  not  too  little, 
but  too  great  for  him,  that  he  doeth  it  not. 

E.  B.  PuSEY. 


96  April  5 

Tlet  I  have  left  me  seven  thousand  in  Israel^  all 
the  knees  which  have  not  bowed  unto  Baal,  and 
every  mouth  which  hath  not  kissed  him.  —  I  Kings 
xix.  18. 

HE  went  down  to  the  great  school  with 
a  glimmering  of  another  lesson  in  his 
heart,  —  the  lesson  that  he  who  has 
conquered  his  own  coward  spirit  has  conquered 
the  whole  outward  world ;  and  that  other  one 
which  the  old  prophet  learnt  in  the  cave  in 
Mount  Horeb,  when  he  hid  his  face,  and  the 
still  small  voice  asked,  "  What  doest  thou  here, 
Elijah  ?  "  that  however  we  may  fancy  ourselves 
alone  on  the  side  of  good,  the  King  and  Lord 
of  men  is  nowhere  without  His  witnesses;  for 
in  every  society,  however  seemingly  corrupt 
and  godless,  there  are  those  who  have  not 
bowed  the  knee  to  Baal.  Thomas  Hughes. 

So,  then,  Elijah's  life  had  been  no  failure, 
after  all.  Seven  thousand  at  least  in  Israel  had 
been  braced  and  encouraged  by  his  example, 
and  silently  blessed  him,  perhaps,  for  the  cour- 
age which  they  felt.  In  God's  world,  for  those 
who  are  in  earnest  there  is  no  failure.  (No  work 
truly  done,  no  word  earnestly  spoken,  no  sacri- 
fice freely  made,  was  ever  made  in  vain. 

F.   W.  Robertson. 


April  6  97 

In  the  multitude  of  my  thoughts  within  me  Thy 
comforts  delight  my  soul.  —  Ps.  xciv.  19. 

Perplexed^  but  not  in  despair;  cast  down^  but 
not  destroyed.  —  2  CoR.  iv.  8,  9. 

Discouraged  in  the  work  of  life. 

Disheartened  by  its  load, 
Shamed  by  its  failures  or  its  fears, 

I  sink  beside  the  road  ;  — 
But  let  me  only  think  of  Thee, 
And  then  new  heart  springs  up  in  me. 

S.  Longfellow. 

DISCOURAGEMENT  is  an  inclination 
to  give  up  all  attempts  after  the  devout 
life,  in  consequence  of  the  difficulties  by 
which  it  is  beset,  and  our  already  numerous 
failures  in  it.  We  lose  heart ;  and  partly  in  ill- 
temper,  partly  in  real  doubt  of  our  own  ability 
to  persevere,  we  first  grow  querulous  and  peev- 
ish with  God,  and  then  relax  in  our  efforts  to 
mortify  ourselves  and  to  please  Him.  It  is  a 
sort  of  shadow  of  despair,  and  will  lead  us  into 
numberless  venial  sins  the  first  half-hour  we 
give  way  to  it.  F.  W.  Faber. 

Never  let  us  be  discouraged  with  ourselves; 
it  is  not  when  we  arc  conscious  of  our  faults 
that  we  are  the  most  wicked ;  on  the  contrary, 
we  are  less  so.  We  see  by  a  brighter  light ; 
and  let  us  remember,  for  our  consolation,  that 
we  never  perceive  our  sins  till  we  begin  to  cure 
them.  FxANjois  de  la  Mothe  Fenelon. 


98  April  7 

That  ye  may  prove  what  is  that  good^  and  accept' 
able^  and  perfect  will  of  God.  —  RoM.  xii.  2. 

Thou  knowest  what  is  best  ; 

And  who  but  Thee,  O  God,  hath  power  to  kno./  ? 
In  Thy  great  will  my  trusting  heart  shall  rest  ; 

Beneath  that  will  my  humble  head  shall  bow. 

T.   C.   Upham. 

TO  those  who  are  His,  all  things  are  not 
only  easy  to  be  borne,  but  even  to  be 
gladly  chosen.  Their  will  is  united  to 
that  will  which  moves  heaven  and  earth,  which 
gives  laws  to  angels,  and  rules  the  courses  of 
the  world.  It  is  a  wonderful  gift  of  God  to 
man,  of  which  we  that  know  so  little  must 
needs  speak  little.  To  be  at  the  centre  of  that 
motion,  where  is  everlasting  rest ;  to  be  sheltered 
in  the  peace  of  God  ;  even  now  to  dwell  in 
heaven,  where  all  hearts  are  stayed,  and  aU 
hopes  fulfilled.  "  Thou  shalt  keep  him  in 
perfect  peace  whose  mind  is  stayed  on  Thee." 

H.  E.  Manning. 

Study  to  follow  His  will  in  all,  to  have  no 
will  but  His.  This  is  thy  duty,  and  thy  wis- 
dom. Nothing  is  gained  by  spurning  and 
struggling  but  to  hurt  and  vex  thyself;  but  by 
complying  all  is  gained  —  sweet  peace.  It  is 
the  very  secret,  the  mystery  of  solid  peace 
within,  to  resign  all  to  His  will,  to  be  disposed 
of  at  His  pleasure,  without  the  least  contrary 
thought.  R.  Lejghton. 


April  8  99 

The  Lord  is  my  shepherd  j  I  shall  not  want.  — 
Ps.  xxiii.  I, 


They  that  seek  the  Lord  shall  not  want  any  good 
thing. —  Ps.  xxxiv.  lo. 


God,  who  the  universe  doth  hold 

In  his  fold, 
Is  my  shepherd  kind  and  heedful, 
Is  my  shepherd,  and  doth  keep 

Me,  his  sheep. 
Still  supplied  with  all  things  needful. 

F.  Davison. 


JF^^HO  is  it  that  is  your  shepherd  ? 
£^'^^£^  The  Lord !  Oh,  my  friends,  what 
a  wonderful  announcement  !  The 
Lord  God  of  heaven  and  earth,  the  almighty 
Creator  of  all  things.  He  who  holds  the  uni- 
verse in  His  hand  as  though  it  were  a  very 
little  thing,  —  He  is  your  shepherd,  and  has 
charged  Himself  with  the  care  and  keeping  of 
you,  as  a  shepherd  is  charged  with  the  care  and 
keeping  of  his  sheep.  If  your  hearts  could 
really  take  in  this  thought,  you  would  never 
have  a  fear  or  a  care  again  ;  for  with  such  a 
shepherd,  how  could  it  be  possible  for  you  ever 
lo  want  any  good  thing  ? 

H.  W.  Smith. 


loo  April  9 

Watch  and  pray^  that  ye  enter  not  into  temptation, 
—  Matt.  xxvi.  41. 

I  WANT  a  sober  mind, 

A  self-renouncing  will, 
That  tramples  down  and  casts  behind 

The  baits  of  pleasing  ill  ; 
A  spirit  still  prepared, 

And  armed  with  jealous  care. 
Forever  standing  on  its  guard, 

And  watching  unto  prayer.        C.  Wesley. 

WHEN  you  say, "  Lead  us  not  into  tempta- 
tion," you  must  in  good  earnest  mean 
to  avoid  in  your  daily  conduct  those 
temptations  which  you  have  already  suffered 
from.  When  you  say, "  Deliver  us  from  evil," 
you  must  mean  to  struggle  against  that  evil  in 
your  hearts,  which  you  are  conscious  of,  and 
which  you  pray  to  be  forgiven.  To  watch  and 
pray  are  surely  in  our  power,  and  by  these 
means  we  are  certain  of  getting  strength.  You 
feel  your  weakness  ;  you  fear  to  be  overcome  by 
temptation  :  then  keep  out  of  the  way  of  it. 
This  is  watching.  Avoid  society  which  is 
likely  to  mislead  you  ;  flee  from  the  very 
shadow  of  evil ;  you  cannot  be  too  careful ; 
better  be  a  little  too  strict  than  a  little  too 
easy,  —  it  is  the  safer  side.  Abstain  from  read- 
ing books  which  are  dangerous  to  you.  Turn 
from  bad  thoughts  when  they  arise. 

J.  H.  Newman. 


April  10  loi 

Not  with  eye-service^  as  men-pleasers ;  but  in 
iingleness  of  hearty  fearing  God.^  IVhatsoever  ye 
do^  do  it  heartily^  as  to  the  Lord^  and  not  unto  men. 
—  Col.  iii.  22,  23. 

Teach  me,  my  God  and  King, 

In  all  things  Thee  to  see, 
And  what  I  do  in  anything. 

To  do  it  as  for  Thee. 

G.   Herbert. 

THERE  is  no  action  so  slight  nor  so  mean 
but  it  may  be  done  to  a  great  purpose, 
and  ennobled  thereby ;  nor  is  any  pur- 
pose so  great  but  that  slight  actions  may  help  it, 
and  may  be  so  done  as  to  help  it  much,  most 
especially,  that  chief  of  all  purposes  —  the  pleas- 
ing of  God. 

J.     RUSKIN. 

Every  duty,  even  the  least  duty,  Involves  the 
whole  principle  of  obedience.  And  little  duties 
make  the  will  dutiful^  that  is,  supple  and  prompt 
to  obey.  Little  obediences  lead  into  great. 
The  daily  round  of  duty  is  full  of  probation  and 
of  discipline ;  it  trains  the  will,  heart,  and  con- 
science. We  need  not  to  be  prophets  or 
apostles.  The  commonest  life  may  be  full  of 
perfection.  The  duties  of  home  are  a  discipline 
for  the  ministries  of  heaven. 

H.  E.   Manning. 


I02  April  II 

Wherefore.^  beloved  .  .  .  be  diligent  that  ye  may 
be  found  of  Him  in  peace ^  without  spot^  and  blame- 
less. —  2  Petpr  iii.  14. 


His  conscience  knows  no  secret  stings, 

While  grace  and  joy  combine 
To  form  a  life  whose  holy  springs 

Are  hidden  and  divine. 

I.  Watts. 


EVEN  the  smallest  discontent  of  conscience 
may  render  turbid  the  whole  temper  of 
the  mind ;  but  only  produce  the  effort 
that  restores  its  peace,  and  over  the  whole  atmo- 
sphere a  breath  of  unexpected  purity  is  spread  ; 
doubt  and  irritability  pass  as  clouds  away;  the 
withered  sympathies  of  earth  and  home  open 
their  leaves  and  live ;  and  through  the  clearest 
blue  the  deep  is  seen  of  the  heaven  where  God 
resides. 

J.   Martineau. 


The  state  of  mind  which  is  described  as 
meekness,  or  quietness  of  spirit,  is  characterized 
in  a  high  degree  by  inward  harmony.  There  is 
not,  as  formerly,  that  inward  jarring  of  thought 
contending  with  thought,  and  conscience  assert- 
ing rights  which  it  could  not  maintain. 

T.  C.  Upham. 


April  12  103 

Be  perfect^  he  of  good  comfort^  be  of  one  ?nind^ 
live  in  peace ;  and  the  God  of  love  and  peace  shall 
be  with  you.  —  2  Cor.  xiii.  1 1. 

He  that  loveth  not  his  brother  whom  he  hath 
seen^  how  can  he  love  God  whom  he  hath  not  seen  ? 
—  I  John  iv.  20. 


Lord  !  subdue  our  selfish  will  ; 

Each  to  each  our  tempers  suit, 
By  Thy  modulating  skill, 

Heart  to  heart,  as  lute  to  lute. 

C.  Wesley. 


IT  requires  far  more  of  the  constraining  love 
of  Christ  to  love  our  cousins  and  neighbors 
as  members  of  the  heavenly  family,  than  to 
feel  the  heart  warm  to  our  suffering  brethren  in 
Tuscany  or  Madeira.  To  love  the  whole 
Church  is  one  thing ;  to  love  —  that  is,  to  de- 
light in  the  graces  and  veil  the  defects — of  the 
person  who  misunderstood  me  and  opposed  my 
plans  yesterday,  whose  peculiar  infirmities  grate 
on  my  most  sensitive  feelings,  or  whose  natural 
faults  are  precisely  those  from  which  my  natural 
character  most  revolts,  is  quite  another. 

Elizabeth  Charles. 


104  April  13 


In  all  these  things  we  are  more  than  conqueron 
through  Him  that  loved  us.  —  Rom.  viii.  37. 


Thus  my  soui  before  her  God 

Lieth  still,  nor  speaketh  more, 
Conqueror  thus  o'er  pain  and  wrong, 

That  once  smote  her  to  the  core  ; 
Like  a  silent  ocean,  bright 
With  her  God's  great  praise  and  light. 

J.    J.    WlNCKLER. 


MY  mind  is  forever  closed  against  embar- 
rassment and  perplexity,  against  uncer- 
tainty, doubt,  and  anxiety ;  my  heart 
against  grief  and  desire.  Calm  and  unmoved,  I 
look  down  on  all  things,  for  I  know  that  I  can- 
not explain  a  single  event,  nor  comprehend  its 
connection  with  that  which  alone  concerns  me. 
In  His  world  all  things  prosper ;  this  satisfies 
me,  and  in  this  belief  I  stand  fast  as  a  rock. 
My  breast  is  steeled  against  annoyance  on  ac- 
count of  personal  offences  and  vexations,  or 
exultation  in  personal  merit ;  for  my  whole  per- 
sonality has  disappeared  in  the  contemplation  of 
the  purpose  of  my  being. 

J.    G.    FiCHTE, 


April  14  105 

Jll  thing  are  yours ;  whether  Paul,,  or  Apollos^ 
or  Cephas^  or  the  world^  or  life^  or  death,  or  things 
present^  or  things  to  come ;  all  are  yours ;  and  ye 
are  Christ's ;  and  Christ  is  God^s.  —  i  Cor.  iii. 
21,  22,  23. 

Js  having  nothings  and  yet  possessing  all  things. 
—  2  Cor.  vi.  10. 

Old  friends,  old  scenes,  will  lovelier  be. 
As  more  of  heaven  in  each  we  see  : 
Some  softening  gleam  of  love  and  prayer 
Shall  dawn  on  every  cross  and  care. 

J.  Keble. 

OUT  of  love  and  hatred,  out  of  earnings, 
and  borrowings,  and  lendings,  and  losses  ; 
out  of  sickness  and  pain  ;  out  of  wooing 
and  worshipping  ;  out  of  travelling,  and  voting, 
and  watching,  and  caring ;  out  of  disgrace  and 
contempt,  comes  our  tuition  in  the  serene  and 
beautiful  laws.  Let  him  not  slur  his  lesson  ; 
let  him  learn  it  by  heart.  Let  hirn  endeavor 
exactly,  bravely,  and  cheerfully,  to  solve  the 
problem  of  that  life  which  is  set  before  him. 
And  this,  by  punctual,  action,  and  not  by 
promises  or  dreams.  Believing,  as  in  God,  in 
the  presence  and  favor  of  the  grandest  influences, 
let  him  deserve  that  favor,  and  learn  how  to 
receive  and  use  it,  by  fidelity  also  to  the  lower 
observances. 

R.  W.  Emerson, 


io6  April  15 

We  know  that  all  things  work  together  for  good 
to  them  that  love  God.  —  RoM.  viii.  28. 

Asforyou^ye  thought  evil  against  me  i  hut  God 
meant  it  unto  good.  — Gen.  I.  20. 

Ill  that  He  blesses  is  our  good, 

And  unblest  good  is  ill  ; 
And  all  is  right  that  seems  most  wrong, 

If  it  be  His  sweet  Will.  p.   W.    Faber. 

TO  those  who  know  themselves,  all  things 
work  together  for  good,  and  all  things 
seem  to  be,  as  they  are  to  them,  good. 
The  goods  which  God  gives  seem  "  very  good," 
and  God  Himself  in  them,  because  they  know 
that  they  deserve  them  not.  The  evils  which 
God  allows  and  overrules  seem  also  "  very 
good,"  because  they  see  in  them  His  loving 
hand,  put  forth  to  heal  them  of  what  shuts  out 
God  from  the  soul.  They  love  God  intensely, 
in  that  He  is  so  good  to  them  in  each,  and 
every,  the  least  good,  because  it  is  more  than 
they  deserve  :  how  much  more  in  the  greatest ! 
They  love  God  for  every,  and  each,  the  very 
greatest  of  what  seem  evils,  knowing  them  to 
be,  from  His  love,  real  goods.  For  He  by  whom 
"  all  the  hairs  of  our  head  are  numbered,"  and 
who  "  knowcth  whereof  we  are  made,"  directs 
everything  which  befalls  us  in  life,  in  perfect 
wisdom  and  love,  to  the  well-being  of  our  souls. 

E.  B.   PUSEY. 


April  i6  107 

The  very  God  of  peace  sanctify  you  wholly^  and 
I  pray  God  your  whole  spirit  and  soul  and  body  be 
preserved  blameless.  Faithful  is  He  that  calieth 
you^  who  also  will  do  it.  —  i  Thess.  v.  23,  24. 

Be  still,  my  soul  !  —  the  Lord  is  on  thy  side  j 
Bear  patiently  the  cross  of  grief  and  pain  ; 

Leave  to  thy  God  to  order  and  provide,  — 
In  every  change  He  faithful  will  remain. 

Hymns  from  the  Land  of  Luther. 


IT  was  no  relief  from  temporal  evils  that  the 
Apostle  promised.  No ;  the  mercy  of  God 
might  send  them  to  the  stake,  or  the  lions ; 
it  was  still  His  mercy,  if  it  but  kept  them  "  un- 
spotted from  the  world."  It  might  expose  them 
to  insult,  calumny,  and  wrong ;  they  received  it 
still  as  mercy,  if  it  "  established  them  in  every 
good  word  and  work."  O  brethren  !  how  many 
o^  you  are  content  with  such  faithfulness  as  this 
on  the  part  of  your  heavenly  Father  ?  Is  this, 
indeed,  the  tone  and  tenor  of  your  prayers? 

Wm.  Archer  Butler. 


The  highest  pinnacle  of  the  spiritual  life  is 
not  happy  joy  in  unbroken  sunshine,  but  abso- 
lute and  undoubting  trust  in  the  love  of  God. 

A.  W.  Thorold. 


io8  April  17 

Blessed  is  that  man  that  maketh  the  Lord  his 
trust.  —  Ps.  xl.  4. 

That  we  may  lead  a  quiet  and  peaceable  life.  — 
I  Tim.  ii.  2. 

Just  to  let  thy  Father  do 

What  He  will  ; 
Just  to  know  that  He  is  true, 
And  be  still  ; 
Just  to  trust  Him,  this  is  all  ! 
Then  the  day  will  surely  be 
)      Peaceful,  whatsoe'er  befall, 
)  Bright  and  blessed,  calm  and  free. 

F.  R.  Havergal. 

EVERY  morning  compose  your  soul  for  a 
tranquil  day,  and  all  through  it  be  careful 
often  to  recall  your  resolution,  and  bring 
yourself  back  to  it,  so  to  say.  If  something 
discomposes  you,  do  not  be  upset,  or  troubled  ; 
but  having  discovered  the  fact,  humble  yourself 
gently  before  God,  and  try  to  bring  your  mind 
into  a  quiet  attitude.  Say  to  yourself,  "  Well,  I 
have  made  a  false  step  ;  now  I  must  go  more 
carefully  and  watchfully."  Do  this  each  time, 
however  frequently  you  fall.  When  you  are  at 
peace  use  it  profitably,  making  constant  acts  of 
meekness,  and  seeking  to  be  calm  even  in  the 
most  trifling  things.  Above  all,  do  not  be  dis- 
couraged ;  be  patient ;  wait  ;  strive  to  attain  a 
cahii,  gentle  spirit, 

St.  Francis  de  Sales. 


April  i8  109 

What  doth  the  Lord  thy  God  require  of  thee^  but 
t'j  fear  the  Lord  thy  God^  to  walk  in  all  His  ways^ 
and  to  love  Him,  and  to  serve  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  all  thy  heart  and  with  all  thy  soul?  —  Deut. 
X.  12. 

What  asks  our  Father  of  His  children  save 
Justice  and  mercy  and  humility, 
A  reasonable  service  of  good  deeds, 
Pure  living,  tenderness  to  human  needs, 
Reverence,  and  trust,  and  prayer  for  light  to  see 
The  Master's  footprints  in  our  daily  ways  ? 
No  knotted  scourge,  nor  sacrificial  knife, 
But  the  calm  beauty  of  an  ordered  life 
Whose  every  breathing  is  unworded  praise. 

J.   G.   Whittier. 

GIVE  up  yourself  to  God  without  reserve; 
in  singleness  of  heart  meeting  everything 
that  every  day  brings  forth,  as  something 
that  comes  from  God,  and  is  to  be  received  and 
gone  through  by  you,  in  such  an  heavenly  use 
of  it,  as  you  would  suppose  the  holy  Jesus  would 
have  done  in  such  occurrences.  This  is  an  at- 
tainable degree  of  perfection.  Wm,  Law. 

We  ought  to  measure  our  actual  lot,  and  to 
fulfil  it ;  to  be  with  all  our  strength  that  which 
our  lot  requires  and  allows.  What  is  beyond  it, 
is  no  calling  of  ours.  How  much  peace,  quiet, 
confidence,  and  strength,  would  people  attain,  if 
they  would  go  by  this  plain  rule. 

H.  £.   Manning. 


no  April  19 

The  hand  of  our  God  is  upon  all  them  for  good 
that  seek  Him.  —  Ezra  viii.  22. 

Into     Thy    hand    I   commit     my    spirit.  —  Ps. 
xxxi.  5. 

Thou  layest  Thy  hand  on  the  fluttering  heart, 

And  sayest,  "  Be  still  !" 
The  silence  and  shadow  are  only  a  part 

Of  Thy  sweet  will  ; 
Thy  presence  is  with  me,  and  where  Thou  art 

I  fear  no  ill. 

F.   R.   Havergai 

BE  still  and  cool  iri  thy  own  mind  and  spirit 
from  thy  own  thoughts,  and  then  thou 
wilt  feel  the  principle  of  God,  to  turn  thy 
mind  to  the  Lord  God,  from  whom  life  comes  j 
whereby  thou  mayest  receive  His  strength,  and 
power  to  allay  all  blustering  storms  and  tempests. 
That  is  it  which  works  up  into  patience,  into 
innocency,  into  soberness,  into  stillness,  into 
stayedness,  into  quietness,  up  to  God  with  His 
power.  Therefore  be  still  awhile  from  thy  own 
thoughts,  searching,  seeking,  desires,  and  imag- 
inations, and  be  stayed  in  the  principle  of  God 
in  thee,  that  it  may  raise  thy  mind  up  to  God, 
and  stay  it  upon  God ;  and  thou  wilt  find 
strength  from  Him,  and  find  Him  to  be  a  God 
at  hand,  a  present  help  in  the  time  of  trouble 
and  need. 

George  Fox. 


April  20  HI 

/  waited  patiently  for  the   Lord;  and  He   in- 
clined unto  me^  and  heard  my  cry.  —  Ps.  xl.  i. 

Tribulation  worketh  patience  ;  and  patience^  ex- 
perience ;  and  experience,  hope,  —  RoM.  v.  3,  4. 


Lord,  we  have  wandered  forth  through  doubt  and  sorrow, 
And  Thoa  hast  made  each  step  an  onward  one  ; 

And  we  will  ever  trust  each  unknown  morrow, — 
Thou  wilt  sustain  us  till  its  work  is  done. 

S.  Johnson. 


IT  is  possible,  when  the  future  is  dim,  when 
our  depressed  faculties  can  form  no  bright 
ideas  of  the  perfection  and  happiness  of  a 
better  world,  —  it  is  possible  still  to  cling  to  the 
conviction  of  God's  merciful  purpose  towards 
His  creatures,  of  His  parental  goodness  even  in 
suffering;  still  to  feel  that  the  path  of  duty, 
though  trodden  with  a  heavy  heart,  leads  to 
peace ;  still  to  be  true  to  conscience ;  still  to  do 
our  work,  to  resist  temptation,  to  be  useful, 
though  with  diminished  energy,  to  give  up  our 
wills  when  we  cannot  rejoice  under  God's  mys- 
terious providence.  In  this  patient,  though  un- 
cheered  obedience,  we  become  prepared  for  light. 
The  soul  gathers  force. 

Wm.  E.  Channing. 


112  April  21 

Be  ye  therefore  perfect .^  even  as  your  Father  which 
is  in  heaven  is  perfect.  —  Matt.  v.  48. 

j^s  for  me^  I  will  behold  Thy  face  in  righteous- 
ness ;  I  shall  be  satisfied,  when  I  awake.,  with  Thy 
likeness. —  Ps.  xvii.  15. 

The  righteousness  he  marks  in  Thee 

His  will  to  right  doth  win  ; 
Delighting  in  Thy  purity, 

He  deeply  drinks  it  in. 

T.   H.  Gill. 

TO  love  God  is  to  love  His  character. 
For  instance,  God  is  Purity.  And  to  be 
pure  in  thought  and  look,  to  turn  away 
from  unhallowed  books  and  conversation,  to  ab- 
hor the  moments  in  which  we  have  not  been 
pure,  is  to  love  God.  God  is  Love;  and  to 
love  men  till  private  attachments  have  expanded 
into  a  philanthropy  which  embraces  all,  —  at 
last  even  the  evil  and  enemies  with  compassion, 
—  that  is  to  love  God.  God  is  Truth.  To  be 
true,  to  hate  every  form  of  falsehood,  to  live  a 
brave,  true,  real  life,  —  that  is  to  love  God. 
God  is  Infinite ;  and  to  love  the  boundless, 
reaching  on  from  grace  to  grace,  adding  charity 
to  faith,  and  rising  upwards  ever  to  see  the  Ideal 
still  above  us,  and  to  die  with  it  unattained,  aim- 
ing insatiably  to  be  perfect  even  as  the  Father  is 
perfect,  —  that  is  to  love  God. 

F.  W.  Robertson 


April  22  113 

Whom  having  not  seen^  ye  love ;  in  whom,  though 
now  ye  see  Him  not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice  with 
joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory .  —  I  Peter  i.  8. 

If  our  love  were  but  more  simple, 
We  should  take  Him  at  His  word  ; 

And  our  lives  would  be  all  sunshine 
In  the  sweetness  of  our  Lord. 

F.   W.   Faber. 

WHAT  would  it  be  to  love  absolutely  a 
Being  absolutely  lovely,  —  to  be  able  to 
give  our  whole  existence,  every  thought, 
every  act,  every  desire,  to  that  adored  One, — 
to  know  that  He  accepts  it  all,  and  loves  us  in 
return  as  God  alone  can  love  ?  This  happiness 
grows  forever.  The  larger  our  natures  become, 
the  wider  our  scope  of  thought,  the  stronger 
our  will,  the  more  fervent  our  affections,  the 
deeper  must  be  the  rapture  of  such  God-granted 
prayer.  Every  sacrifice  resolved  on  opens  wide 
the  gate ;  every  sacrifice  accomplished  is  a  step 
towards  the  paradise  within.  Soon  it  will  be  no 
transitory  glimpse,  no  rapture  of  a  day,  to  be 
followed  by  clouds  and  coldness.  Let  us  but 
labor,  and  pray,  and  wait,  and  the  intervals  of 
human  frailty  shall  grow  shorter  and  less  dark, 
the  days  of  our  delight  in  God  longer  and 
brighter,  till  at  last  life  shall  be  nought  but  His 
love,  our  eyes  shall  never  grow  dim.  His  smile 
never  turn  away.  F.  B.  Cobbe. 


114  April  23 

These  were  the  potters,  and  those  that  dwelt 
among  plants  and  hedges :  there  they  dwelt  with 
the  king  for  his  work.  —  i    Chron.  iv.  23. 


A  LOWLIER  task  on  them  is  laid, 
With  love  to  make  the  labor  light  ; 

And  there  their  beauty  they  must  shed 
On  quiet  homes,  and  lost  to  sight. 

Changed  are  their  visions  high  and  fair, 

Yet,  calm  and  still,  they  labor  there. 

HVMNS    OF    THE    AgE». 


ANYWHERE  and  everywhere  we  may 
dwell  "  with  the  King  for  His  work." 
We  may  be  in  a  very  unlikely  or  unfavor- 
able place  for  this  ;  it  may  be  in  a  literal  country 
life,  with  little  enough  to  be  seen  of  the  "  go- 
ings "  of  the  King  around  us  ;  it  may  be  among 
hedges  of  all  sorts,  hindrances  in  all  directions  ; 
it  may  be,  furthermore,  with  our  hands  full  of 
all  manner  of  pottery  for  our  daily  task.  No 
matter  !  The  King  who  placed  us  "there  "  will 
come  and  dwell  there  with  us ;  the  hedges  are 
all  right,  or  He  would  soon  do  away  with  them ; 
and  it  does  not  follow  that  what  seems  to  hinder 
our  way  may  not  be  for  its  very  protection  ; 
and  as  for  the  pottery,  why,  that  is  just  exactly 
what  He  has  seen  fit  to  put  into  our  hands, 
and  therefore  it  is,  for  the  present,  "  His  work." 

F.  R.  Havergal. 


April  24  115 

Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens^  and  so  fulfil  the 
law  of  Christ.  —  Gal.  vi.  2. 


Is  thy  cruse  of  comfort  wasting  ? 

Rise  and  share  it  with  another, 
And  through  all  the  years  of  famine, 

It  shall  serve  thee  and  thy  brother. 
Is  thy  burden  hard  and  heavy  ? 

Do  thy  steps  drag  heavily  ? 
Help  to  bear  thy  brother's  burden  ; 

God  will  bear  both  it  and  thee. 

Elizabeth  Charles. 


HOWEVER  perplexed  you  may  at  any  hour 
become  about  some  question  of  truth,  one 
refuge  and  resource  is  always  at   hand  : 
you  can  do  something  for  some  one  besides  your- 
self.    When  your  own  burden  is  heaviest,  you 
can  always  lighten  a  little  some  other  burden. 
At  the  times  when  you  cannot  see  God,  there 
is  still  open  to    you  this  sacred    possibility,  to 
show  God  ;   for  it  is  the  love  and  kindness  of  ^> 
human  hearts  through  which  the  divine  reality  ) 
comes  home  to  men,  whether  they  name  it  or  \ 
not.       Let  this   thought,  then,    stay   with   you  :  1 
there  may  be  times  when  you  cannot  find  help,  1' 
but  there  is  no  time  when  you  cannot  give  help. 

'George  S.  Mkrriam 


ii6  April  25 

Surely^  I  have  behaved  and  quieted  myself^  as  a 
child  that  is  weaned  of  his  mother :  my  soul  is  even 
as  a  weaned  child.  —  Ps.  cxxxi.  2. 

Quiet,  Lord,  my  froward  heart. 
Make  me  teachable  and  mild, 
Upright,  simple,  free  from  art, 
Make  me  as  a  weaned  child } 
From  distrust  and  envy  free. 
Pleased  with  all  that  pleaseth  Thee. 

J.  Newton. 

OH !  look  not  after  great  things :  small 
breathings,  small  desires  after  the  Lord^ 
if  true  and  pure,  are  sweet  beginnings 
of  life.  Take  heed  of  despising  "  the  day  of 
small  things,"  by  looking  after  some  great  visita- 
tion, proportionable  to  thy  distress,  according  to 
thy  eye.  Nay,  thou  must  become  a  child  ;  thou 
must  lose  thy  own  will  quite  by  degrees.  Thou 
must  wait  for  life  to  be  measured  out  by  the 
Father,  and  be  content  with  what  proportion, 
and  at  what  time.  He  shall  please  to  measure. 

I.  Penington. 

"When  Israel  was  a  child,  then  I  loved  him" 
(Hosea  xi.  i).  Aim  to  be  ever  this  little  child, 
contented  with  what  the  Father  gives  of  pleasure 
or  of  play ;  and  when  restrained  from  pleasure 
or  from  play,  and  led  for  a  season  into  the 
chamber  of  sorrow,  rest  quiet  on  His  bosom, 
and  be  patient,  and  smile,  as  one  who  is  nestled 
in  a  sweet  and  secure  asylum.  Anon. 


April  26  117 


If  we  hope  for  that  we  see  not^  then  do  we  with 
patience  wait  for  it.  —  Rom.  viii.  25. 

One  day  is  with  the  Lord  as  a  thousand  years^ 
and  a  thousand  years  as  one  day.  —  2  Peter  iii.  8. 


Lord  !  who  Thy  thousand  years  dost  wait 

To  work  the  thousandth  part 
Of  Thy  vast  plan,  for  us  create 

With  zeal  a  patient  heart. 

J.  H.  Newman. 


I  BELIEVE  that  if  wc  could  only  see  before- 
hand what  it  is  that  our  heavenly  Father 
means  us  to  be,  —  the  soul  beauty  and  per- 
fection and  glory,  the  glorious  and  lovely  spiritual 
body  that  this  soul  is  to  dw^ell  in  through  all 
eternity,  —  if  we  could  have  a  glimpse  of  this^ 
we  should  not  grudge  all  the  trouble  and  pains 
He  is  taking  with  us  now,  to  bring  us  up  to  that 
ideal,  which  is  His  thought  of  us.  We  know 
that  it  is  God's  way  to  work  slowly,, so  we  must 
not  be  surprised  if  He  takes  a  great  many  years 
of  discipline  to  turn  a  mortal  being  into  an  im- 
mortal, glorious  angel. 

Annie  Keary. 


ii8  April  27 

Speak  ye  every  man  the  truth  to  his  neighbor.  — 
Zech.  viii.  16. 

For  our  rejoicing  is  this^  the  testimony  of  our  con- 
science^ that  in  simplicity  and  godly  sincerity  .  .  . 
we  have  had  our  conversation  in  the  world.  —  2 
Cor.  i.  12. 

Appear  I  always  what  I  am  ? 

And  am  I  what  I  am  pretending  ? 

Know  I  what  way  my  course  is  bending  ? 
And  sound  my  word  and  thought  the  same  ? 

Anon. 

AM  I  acting  in  simplicity,  from  a  germ  of 
the  Divine  life  within,  or  am  I  shaping 
my  path  to  obtain  some  immediate  result 
of  expediency  ?  Am  I  endeavoring  to  compass 
effects,  amidst  a  tangled  web  of  foreign  influ- 
ences I  cannot  calculate;  or  am  I  seeking  simply 
to  do  what  is  right,  and  leaving  the  consequences 
to  the  good  providence  of  God  ? 

M.     A.     SCHIMMELPENNINCK. 


Let  it  not  be  in  any  man's  power  to  say  truly 
of  thee  that  thou  art  not  simple,  or  that  thou  art 
not  good ;  but  let  him  be  a  liar  whoever  shall 
think  anything  of  this  kind  about  thee;  and  this 
is  altogether  in  thy  power.  Yov  who  is  he  that 
shall  hinder  thee  from  being  good  and  simple .'' 

Marcus  Antoninus. 


April  28  119 

The  Lord  is  thy  keeper :  the  Lord  is  thy  shade 
upon  thy  right  hand.  — Ps.  cxxi.  5. 

Great  peace  have  they  which  love  Thy  law  :  and 
nothing  shall  offend  them.  —  Ps.  cxix.  165. 

I  REST  beneath  the  Almighty's  shade, 
My  griefs  expire,  my  troubles  cease  j 

Thou,  Lord,  on  whom  my  soul  is  stayed. 
Wilt  keep  me  still  in  perfect  peace. 

C.  Wesley. 

ONE  great  sign  of  the  practical  recognition 
of  the  "  divine  moment,"  and  of  our  find- 
ing God's  habitation  in  it,  is  constant 
calmness  and  peace  of  mind.  Events  and  things 
come  with  the  moment ;  but  God  comes  with 
them  too.  So  that  if  He  comes  in  the  sunshine, 
we  find  rest  and  joy;  and  if  He  comes  in  the 
storm,  we  know  He  is  King  of  the  storms,  and 
our  hearts  are  not  troubled.  God  Himself, 
though  possessing  a  heart  filled  with  the  tender- 
est  feelings,  is,  nevertheless,  an  everlasting  tran- 
quillity ;  and  when  we  enter  into  His  holy 
tabernacle,  our  souls  necessarily  enter  into  the 
tabernacle  of  rest.  T.  C.  Upham. 

My  soul  was  not  only  brought  into  harmony 
with  itself  and  with  God,  but  with  God's  provi- 
dences. In  the  exercise  of  faith  and  love,  I  en- 
dured and  performed  whatever  came  in  God's 
providence,  in  submission,  in  thankfulness,  and 
silence.  Madame  Guyon. 


I20  April  29 

I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  Father.  —  Luke  xv.  1 8. 


0  MY  God,  my  Father  !  hear. 
And  help  me  to  believe  ; 

Weak  and  weary  I  draw  near  ; 
Thy  child,  O  God,  receive. 

1  so  oft  have  gone  astray  ; 

To  the  perfect  Guide  I  flee  ; 
Thou  wilt  turn  me  not  away, 
Thy  love  is  pledged  to  me. 

Hymns  of  the  Spirit. 


O  CHILD,  hast  thou  fallen  ?  arise,  and 
go,  with  childlike  trust,  to  thy  Father, 
like,  the  prodigal  son,  and  humbly  say, 
with  heart  and  mouth,  "  Father,  I  have  sinned 
against  heaven,  and  before  Thee,  and  am  no 
more  worthy  to  be  called  Thy  son ;  make  me 
as  one  of  Thy  hired  servants."  And  what  will 
thy  heavenly  Father  do  but  what  that  father  did 
in  the  parable  ?  Assuredly  He  will  not  change 
His  essence,  which  is  love,  for  the  sake  of  thy 
misdoings.  Is  it  not  His  own  precious  treasure, 
and  a  small  thing  with  Him  to  forgive  thee  thy 
trespasses,  if  thou  believe  in  Him  ?  for  His  hand 
is  not  shortened  that  it  cannot  make  thee  fit  to 
be  saved. 

John  Tauler. 


April  30  121 


Speak  unto  the   children  of  Israel^  that  they  go 
forward.  —  Ex.  xiv.  15. 


No  man^  having  put  his  hand  to  the  plough^  and 
looking  back,  is  ft  for  the  kingdom  of  God.  —  LuKE 
ix.  62. 


Be  trustful,  be  steadfast,  whatever  betide  thee. 
Only  one  thing  do  thou  ask  of  the  Lord,  — 

Grace  to  go  forward  wherever  He  guide  thee, 
Simply  believing  the  truth  of  His  word. 

Anon. 


THE  soul  ceases  to  weary  itself  with  plan- 
ning and  foreseeing,  giving  itself  up  to 
God's  Holy  Spirit  within,  and  to  the 
teachings  of  His  providence  without.  He  is 
not  forever  fretting  as  to  his  progress,  or  look- 
ing back  to  see  how  far  he  is  getting  on  ;  rather 
he  goes  steadily  and  quietly  on,  and  makes  all 
the  more  progress  because  it  is  unconscious.  So 
he  never  gets  troubled  and  discouraged ;  if  he 
falls  he  humbles  himself,  but  gets  up  at  once, 
and  goes  on  with  renewed  earnestness. 

Jean  Nicolas  Grou. 


112  May  I 

/  will  bless  the  Lord  at  all  times :  His  praise 
shall  continually  be  in  my  mouth.  —  Ps.  xxxiv.  I. 

/  will  praise  Thee^  O  Lord.,  with  my  whole 
heart ;  I  will  show  forth  all  Thy  marvellous  works. 
—  Ps.  ix.  I. 


Thrice  blest  will  all  our  blessings  be. 
When  we  can  look  through  them  to  Thee  ; 
When  each  glad  heart  its  tribute  pays 
Of  love  and  gratitude  and  praise. 

Jane  Cotterill. 


1 


1 1  AHAT  which  befits  us,  embosomed  in  beauty 
and  wonder  as  we  are,  is  cheerfulness,  and 
courage,  and  the  endeavor  to  realize  our 
aspirations.  Shall  not  the  heart  which  has  re- 
ceived so  much,  trust  the  Power  by  which  it 
lives  ?  May  it  not  quit  other  leadings,  and  listen 
to  the  Soul  that  has  guided  it  so  gently,  and 
taught  it  so  much,  secure  that  the  future  will  be 
worthy  of  the  past  t 

R.  W.  Emerson. 


1  HAVE  experienced  that  the  habit  of  taking 
out  of  the  hand  of  our  Lord  every  little  blessing 
and  brightness  on  our  path,  confirms  us,  in  an 
especial  manner,  in  communion  with  His  love. 

M.   A.  SCHIMMELPENNINCK. 


May  2  123 

The  ornament  of  a  meek  and  quiet  spirit^  which 
is  in  the  sight  of  God  of  great  price.  —  I  Peter 
Ml.  4. 

7!?  present  you  holy^  and  unblameahle^  and  un- 
reproveable  in  His  sight.  —  CoL.  i.  22. 

Thy  sinless  mind  in  us  reveal, 

Thy  spirit's  plenitude  impart  ! 
Till  all  my  spotless  life  shall  tell 

The  abundance  of  a  loving  heart. 

C.  Wesley. 

HOLINESS  appeared  to  me  to  be  of  a 
sweet,  pleasant,  charming,  serene,  calm 
nature.  It  seemed  to  me,  it  brought  an 
inexpressible  purity,  brightness,  peacefulness,  and 
ravishment  to  the  soul  ;  and  that  it  made  the 
soul  like  a  field  or  garden  of  God,  with  all 
manner  of  pleasant  flowers,  that  is  all  pleasant, 
delightful,  and  undisturbed ;  enjoying  a  sweet 
calm,  and  the  gently  vivifying  beams  of  the  sun. 
The  soul  of  a  true  Christian  appeared  like  such 
a  little  white  flower,  as  we  see  in  the  spring  of 
the  year,  low  and  humble  on  the  ground,  open- 
ing its  bosom  to  receive  the  pleasant  beams  of 
the  sun's  glory  ;  rejoicing,  as  it  were,  in  a  calm 
rapture;  diffiising  around  a  sweet  fragrancy; 
standing  peacefully  and  lovingly  in  the  midst  of 
other  flowers  round  about,  all  in  like  manner 
opening  their  bosoms  to  drink  in  the  light  of  the 
sun.  Jonathan  Edwards. 


\ 


124  May  3 

The  Lord  is  good^  a  stronghold  in  the  day  of 
trouble ;  and  He  knoweth  them  that  trust  in  Him. 
—  Nahum   i.   7. 

Leave  God  to  order  all  thy  ways, 
And  hope  in  Him,  whatever  betide  ; 

Thou  'It  find  Him  in  the  evil  days 

Thy  all-sufficient  strength  and  guide  ; 

Who  trusts  in  God's  unchanging  love. 

Builds  on  the  rock  that  nought  can  move. 

G.   Neumark. 

OUR  whole  trouble  in  our  lot  in  this  world 
rises  from  the  disagreement  of  our  mind 
therewith.  Let  the  mind  be  brought  to 
the  lot,  and  the  whole  tumult  is  instantly  hushed; 
let  it  be  kept  in  that  disposition,  and  the  man 
shall  stand  at  ease,  in  his  affliction,  like  a  rock 
unmoved  with  waters  beating  upon  it. 

T.  Boston. 

How  does  our  will  become  sanctified  ?  By 
conforming  itself  unreservedly  to  that  of  God. 
We  will  all  that  He  wills,  and  will  nothing  that 
He  does  not  will;  we  attach  our  feeble  will  to 
that  all-powerful  will  which  performs  everything. 
Thus,  nothing  can  ever  come  to  pass  against  our 
will ;  for  nothing  can  happen  save  that  which 
God  wills,  and  we  find  in  His  good  pleasure  an 
inexhaustible  source  of  peace  and  consolation. 

Francois  de  la  Mothe  FInelon. 


May  4  125 

Who  through  faith  subdued  kingdoms,  wrought 
righteousness,  obtained  promises,  stopped  the  mouths 
of  lions,  out  of  weakness  were  made  strong.  —  Heb. 
xi.  33i  34- 


She  met  the  hosts  of  Sorrow  with  a  look 

That  altered  not  beneath  the  frown  they  wore, 
And  soon  the  lowering  brood  were  tamed,  and  took, 

Meekly,  her  gentle  rule,  and  frowned  no  more. 
Her  soft  hand  put  aside  the  assaults  of  wrath, 
And  calmly  broke  in  twain 
The  fiery  shafts  of  pain, 
And  rent  the  nets  of  passion  from  her  path. 

By  that  victorious  hand  despair  was  slain  ; 
With  love  she  vanquished  hate,  and  overcame 
Evil  with  good,  in  her  great  Master's  name. 

W.  C.  Bryant. 


AS  to  what  may  befall  us  outwardly,  in  this 
confused  state  of  things,  shall  we  not 
trust  our  tender  Father,  and  rest  satisfied 
in  His  will  ?  Shall  anything  hurt  us .?  Can 
tribulation,  distress,  persecution,  famine,  naked- 
ness, peril,  or  sword,  come  between  the  love  of 
the  Father  to  the  child,  or  the  child's  rest,  con- 
tent, and  delight  in  His  love  ?  And  doth  not 
the  love,  the  rest,  the  peace,  the  joy  felt,  swallow 
up  all  the  bitterness  and  sorrow  of  the  outward 
condition  ? 

I.    PSNINCTON. 


126  May  5 

If  thou  hast  run  with  the  footmen^  and  they  havt 
wearied  thee^  then  how  canst  thou  contend  with 
horses  F  and  if  in  the  land  of  peace^  wherein  thou 
trustedst^  they  wearied  thee^  then  how  wilt  thou  do 
in  the  swelling  of  Jordan  f  —  Jer.  xii.  5. 


How  couldst  thou  hang  upon  the  cross, 
To  whom  a  weary  hour  is  loss  ? 
Or  how  the  thorns  and  scourging  brook, 
Who  shrinkest  from  a  scornful  look  ? 

J.   Keble. 


A  HEART  unloving  among  kindred  has 
no  love  towards  God's  saints  and  angels. 
If  we  have  a  cold  heart  towards  a  servant 
or  a  friend,  why  should  we  wonder  if  we  have 
no  fervor  towards  God?  If  we  are  cold  in' our 
private  prayers,  we  should  be  earthly  and  dull  in 
the  most  devout  religious  order ;  if  we  cannot 
bear  the  vexations  of  a  companion,  how  should 
we  bear  the  contradiction  of  sinners  ?  if  a  little 
pain  overcomes  us,  how  could  we  endure  a 
cross  ?  if  we  have  no  tender,  cheerful,  affection- 
ate love  to  those  with  whom  our  daily  hours  are 
spent,  how  should  we  feel  the  pulse  and  ardor 
of  love  to  the  unknown  and  the  evil,  the  un- 
grateful and  repulsive  ? 

H.  £.  Manning. 


May  6  127 

Be  kindly  affectioned  one  to  another  with  brotherly 
love.  —  Rom.  xii.  lo. 

In  her  tongue  is  the  law  of  kindness.  —  Prov. 
xxxi.  26. 


Since  trifles  make  the  sum  of  human  thiags, 
And  half  our  misery  from  our  foibles  springs  ; 
Since  life's  best  joys  consist  in  peace  and  ease, 
And  though  but  few  can  serve,  yet  all  can  please  ; 
Oh,  let  the  ungentle  spirit  learn  from  hence, 
A  small  unkindness  is  a  great  offence. 

Hannah  More. 


ALL  usefulness  and  all  comfort  may  be  pre- 
vented by  an  unkind,  a  sour,  crabbed 
temper  of  mind,  —  a  mind  that  can  bear 
with  no  difference  of  opinion  or  temperament. 
A  spirit  of  fault-finding ;  an  unsatisfied  temper ; 
a  constant  irritability ;  little  inequalities  in  the 
look,  the  temper,  or  the  manner ;  a  brow  cloudy 
and  dissatisfied  —  your  husband  or  your  wife 
cannot  tell  why  —  will  more  than  neutralize  all 
the  good  you  can  do,  and  render  life  anything 
but  a  blessing. 

Albert  Barnes. 


You  have  not  fulfilled  every  duty,  unless  you 
have  fulfilled  that  of  being  pleasant.  * 

Charles  Buxton.^ 


128  May  7 


He  healeth  the  broken  in  hearty  and  bindeth  up 
iheir  wounds.  He  telleth  the  number  of  the  stars ; 
He  calleth  them  all  by  their  names.  —  Ps.  cxlvii. 

3,4- 

Teach  me  your  mood,  O  patient  stars  ! 

Who  climb  each  night  the  ancient  sky, 
Leaving  on  space  no  shade,  no  scars, 

No  trace  of  age,  no  fear  to  die. 

R.  W.  Emerson. 


I  LOOKED  up  to  the  heavens  once  more, 
and  the  quietness  of  the  stars  seemed  to  re- 
proach me.  "  We  are  safe  up  here,"  they 
seemed  to  say ;  "  we  shine,  fearless  and  confi- 
dent, for  the  God  who  gave  the  primrose  its 
rough  leaves  to  hide  it  from  the  blast  of  uneven 
spring,  hangs  us  in  the  awful  hollows  of  space. 
We  cannot  fall  out  of  His  safety.  Lift  up  your 
eyes  on  high,  and  behold  !  Who  hath  created 
these  things  —  that  bringeth  out  their  host  by 
number  ?  He  calleth  them  all  by  names.  By 
the  greatness  of  His  might,  for  that  He  is  strong 
in  power,  not  one  faileth.  Why  sayest  thou,  O 
Jacob !  and  speakest,  O  Israel !  my  way  is  hid 
from  the  Lord,  and  my  judgment  is  passed  over 
from  my  God  I  " 

G.  Macdonald. 


May  8  129 

This  is  the  day  which  the  Lord  hath  made;  we 
will  rejoice  and  be  glad  in  it.  —  Ps.  cxviii.  24. 

IVhy  stand  ye  here  all  the  day  idle  F  —  Matt. 
XX.  6. 

So  here  hath  been  dawning  another  blue  day  } 

Think,  wilt  thou  let  it  slip  useless  away  ? 

Out  of  eternity  this  new  day  is  born  ; 

Into  eternity  at  night  will  return.         T.   Carlyle. 

SMALL  cares,  some  deficiencies  in  the  mere 
arrangement  and  ordering  of  our  lives, 
daily  fret  our  hearts,  and  cross  the  clear- 
ness of  our  faculties;  and  these  entanglements 
hang  around  us,  and  leave  us  no  free  soul  able 
to  give  itself  up,  in  power  and  gladness,  to  the 
true  work  of  life.  The  severest  training  and 
self-denial,  —  a  superiority  to  the  servitude  of 
indulgence,  —  are  the  indispensable  conditions 
even  of  genial  spirits,  of  unclouded  energies,  of 
:empers  free  from  morbidness,  —  much  more  of 
the  practised  and  vigorous  mind,  ready  at  every 
call,  and  thoroughly  furnished  unto  all  good 
works.  J.  H,  Thom. 

True,  we  can  never  be  at  peace  till  we  have 
performed  the  highest  duty  of  all, —  till  we  have 
arisen,  and  gone  to  our  Father;  but  the  per- 
formance of  smaller  duties,  yes,  even  of  the 
smallest,  will  do  more  to  give  us  temporary 
repose,  will  act  more  as  healthful  anodynes, 
than  the  greatest  joys  that  can  come  to  us  from 
any  other  quarter.  G.  Macdonald. 

9 


ijo  May  9 

The  Lord  gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away  : 
blessed  be  the  name  of  the  Lord.  —  Job  i.  21. 

What  Thou  hast  given,  Thou  canst  take, 
And  when  Thou  wih  new  gifts  can  make. 

All  flows  from  Thee  alone  ; 
When  Thou  didst  give  it,  it  was  Thine  ; 
When  Thou  retook' st  it,  'twas  not  mine. 

Thy  will  in  all  be  done. 

John  Austin. 

WE  are  ready  to  praise  when  all  shines 
fair ;  but  when  life  is  overcast,  when 
all  things  seem  to  be  against  us,  when 
we  are  in  fear  for  some  cherished  happiness,  or 
in  the  depths  of  sorrow,  or  in  the  solitude  of  a 
life  which  has  no  visible  support,  or  in  a  season 
of  sickness,  and  with  the  shadow  .of  death  ap- 
proaching, —  then  to  praise  God ;  then  to  say, 
This  fear,  loneliness,  affliction,  pain,  and  trem- 
bling awe  are  as  sure  tokens  of  love,  as  life, 
health,  joy,  and  the  gifts  of  home  :  "  The  Lord 
gave,  and  the  Lord  hath  taken  away  ;  "  on  either 
side  it  is  He,  and  all  is  love  alike;  "blessed  be 
the  name  of  the  Lord,"  —  this  is  the  true  sacri- 
fice of  praise.  What  can  come  amiss  to  a  soul 
which  is  so  in  accord  with  God  ?  What  can 
make  so  much  as  one  jarring  tone  in  all  its 
harmony  ?  In  all  the  changes  of  this  fitful  life, 
/  it  ever  dwells  in  praise. 

H.  E.   Manning. 


May  10  131 


The  Lord  redeemeth  the  soul  of  His  servants ; 
and  none  of  them  that  trust  in  Him  shall  be  deso- 
late.—  Ps.  xxxiv.  22. 


Though  He  slay  me^  yet  will  I  trust  in  Him.  — 
Job  xiii.  15. 


I  PRAISE  Thee  while  my  days  go  on  ; 

I  love  Thee  while  my  days  go  on  : 

Through  dark  and  dearth,  through  fire  and  frost, 

With  emptied  arms  and  treasure  lost, 

I  thank  Thee  while  my  days  go  on. 

£.  B.  Browning. 


THE  sickness  of  the  last  week  was  fine 
medicine;  pain  disintegrated  the  spirit, 
or  became  spiritual.  I  rose,  —  I  felt 
that  I  had  given  to  God  more  perhaps  than  an 
angel  could,  —  had  promised  Him  in  youth  that 
to  be  a  blot  on  this  fair  world,  at  His  command, 
would  be  acceptable.  Constantly  offer  myself 
to  continue  the  obscurest  and  loneliest  thing 
ever  heard  of,  with  one  proviso,  —  His  agency. 
Yes,  love  Thee,  and  all  Thou  dost,  while  Thou 
sheddest  frost  and  darkness  on  every  path  of 
mine. 

Mary  Moody  Emerson. 


132  May  II 

Shall  we  receive  good  at  the  hand  of  God^  and 
shall  we  not  receive  evil?  —  Job  ii.  10. 


Thou  hast  dealt  well  with  Thy  servant^  O  Lord^ 
according  to  Thy  word.  —  Ps.  cxix.  65. 


Whatsoe'er  our  lot  may  be, 

Calmly  in  this  thought  we  Ml  rest,  — 

Could  we  see  as  Thou  dost  see, 
We  should  choose  it  as  the  best. 

Wm.  Gaskell. 


IT  is  a  proverbial  saying,  that  every  one 
makes  his  own  destiny  j  and  this  is  usually 
interpreted,  that  every  one,  by  his  wise  or 
unwise  conduct,  prepares  good  or  evil  for  him- 
self: but  we  may  also  understand  it,  that  what- 
ever it  be  that  he  receives  from  the  hand  of 
Providence,  he  may  so  accommodate  himself  to 
it,  that  he  will  find  his  lot  good  for  him,  how- 
ever much  may  seem  to  others  to  be  wanting. 

Wm.   von  Humboldt. 


Evil,  once  manfully  fronted,  ceases  to  be 
evil ;  there  is  generous  battle-hope  in  place  of 
dead,  passive  misery ;  the  evil  itself  has  become 
a  kind  of  good. 

T.  Carlyle. 


May  12  133 

Fear  none  of  those  things  which  thou  shalt  suffer : 
.  .  .  ye  shall  have  tribulation  ten  days  :  be  thou 
faithful  unto  death^  and  I  will  give  thee  a  crown 
of  life.  —  Rev.  ii.  10. 

Then,  O  my  soul,  be  ne'er  afraid. 
On  Him  who  thee  and  all  things  made 

Do  thou  all  calmly  rest  ; 
Whatever  may  come,  where'er  we  go, 
Our  Father  in  the  heavens  must  know 

In  all  things  what  is  best. 

Paul  Flemming. 

GUIDE  me,  O  Lord,  in  all  the  changes  and 
varieties  of  the  world  ;  that  in  all  things 
that  shall  happen,  I  may  have  an  even- 
ness and  tranquillity  of  spirit  ;  that  my  soul  may 
be  wholly  resigned  to  Thy  divinest  will  and , 
pleasure,  never  murmuring  at  Thy  gentle  chas-  , 
tisements  and  fatherly  correction.     Amen.  ) 

Jeremy  Taylor. 

Thou  art  never  at  any  time  nearer  to  God 
than  when  under  tribulation;  which  He  permits* 
for  the  purification  and  beautifying  of  thy  soul. 

M.  De  Molinos, 

Prize  inward  exercises,  griefs,  and  troubles ; 
and  let  faith  and  patience  have  their  perfect  work 
in  them. 

I,  Penington. 


134  May  13 

/  pray  not  that  Thou  shouldest  take  them  out  of 
the  world^  but  that  Thou  shouldest  keep  them  from 
the  evil.  —  John  xvii.  15. 


In  busy  mart  and  crowded  street, 
No  less  than  in  the  still  retreat, 
Thou,  Lord,  art  near,  our  souls  to  bless, 
With  all  a  Father's  tenderness. 

I.   Williams. 


ONLY  the  individual  conscience,  and  He 
who  is  greater  than  the  conscience,  can 
tell   where   worldliness   prevails.       Each 
heart  must  answer  for  itself,  and  at  its  own  risk. 
That  our  souls  are  committed  to  our  own  keep- 
ing, at  our  own  peril,  in  a  world  so   mixed  as 
this,  is  the  last  reason  we  should  slumber  over 
the  charge,  or  betray  the  trust.     If  only   that 
^  outlet   to  the   Infinite   is  kept  open,  the   inner 
;  bond  with  eternal  life  preserved,  while  not  one 
;    movement  of  this  world's  business  is  interfered 
;  with,   nor  one    pulse-beat  of  its  happiness   re- 
(  pressed,  with   all    natural  associations  dear  and 
cherished,  with  all  human  sympathies  fresh  and 
warm,  we  shall  yet  be  near  to  the  kingdom  of 
heaven,  within  the  order  of  the  Kosmos  of  God 
—  in   the   world,  but   not  of  the  world  —  not 
taken  out  of  it,  but  kept  from  its  evil. 

J.  H.  Thom. 


May  14  135 

And  what  doth  the  Lord  require  of  thee^  but  to 
do  justly^  and  to  love  mercy^  and  to  walk  humbly 
with  thy  God? — MiCAH  vi.  8. 

Put  on  therefore  .  .  .  kindness.,  humbleness  of 
mind,  meekness,  long-suffering.  —  CoL.  iii.  1 2. 

Plant  in  us  an  humble  mind. 
Patient,  pitiful,  and  kind  ; 
Meek  and  lowly  let  us  be. 
Full  of  goodness,  full  of  Thee. 

C.  Wesley. 


THERE  is  no  true  and  constant  gentleness 
without  humility  ;  while  we  are  so  fond 
of  ourselves,  we  are  easily  offended  with 
others.  Let  us  be  persuaded  that  nothing  is  due 
to  us,  and  then  nothing  will  disturb  us.  Let  usj 
often  think  of  our  own  infirmities,  and  we  shalK 
become  indulgent  towards  those  of  others.  ) 

FRAN9OIS  DE  LA  MOTHE  FeNELON. 

Endeavor  to  be  patient  in  bearing  with  the* 
defects  and   infirmities  of  others,  of  what  sort 
soever  they  be ;  for  that  thyself  also  hast  many 
failings  which   must  be  borne  with  by   others. 
If  thou  canst  not   make  thyself  such  an  one  asj 
thou  wouldest,  how  canst  thou  expect  to  havCj 
another  in  all  things  to  thy  liking  ? 

Thomas  a  Kempis. 


136  May  15 

My  presence  shall  go  with  thee.,  and  I  will  give 
thee  rest.  —  Ex.  xxxiii.  14. 

Thou  wilt  show  me  the  path  of  life :  in  Thy 
presence  is  fulness  of  joy ;  at  Thy  right  hand  there 
are  pleasures  for  evermore.  —  Ps.  xvi.  1 1. 


Thv  presence  fills  my  mind  with  peace, 
Brightens  the  thoughts  so  dark  erewhilc, 

Bids  cares  and  sad  forebodings  cease. 
Makes  all  things  smile. 

Charlotte  Elliott. 


HOW  shall  we  rest  in  God  ?  By  giving 
ourselves  wholly  to  Him.  If  you  give 
yourself  by  halves,  you  cannot  finj  full 
rest ;  there  will  ever  be  a  lurking  disquiet  in 
that  half  which  is  withheld.  Martyrs,  confes- 
sors, and  saints  have  tasted  this  rest,  and 
*'  counted  themselves  happy  in  that  they  en- 
dured." A  countless  host  of  God's  faithful 
servants  have  drunk  deeply  of  it  under  the 
daily  burden  of  a  weary  life,  —  dull,  common- 
place, painful,  or  desolate.  All  that  God  has 
been  to  them  He  is  ready  to  be  to  you.  The 
heart  once  fairly  given  to  God,  with  a  clear 
conscience,  a  fitting  rule  of  life,  and  a  steadfast 
purpose  of  obedience,  you  will  find  a  wonderful 
sense  of  rest  coming  over  you. 

Jean  Nicolas  Grou. 


May  i6  137 

Finally^  my  brethren'^  be  strong  In  the  Lord^  and 
in  the  power  of  His  might.  —  Eph.  vi.  lO. 

No  man  can  serve  two  masters.  —  Matt.  vi.  24. 

Oh,  there  are  heavenly  heights  to  reach 

In  many  a  fearful  place, 
Where  the  poor  timid  heir  of  God 

Lies  blindly  on  his  face  ; 
Lies  languishing  for  grace  divine 

That  he  shall  never  see 
Till  he  go  forward  at  Thy  sign, 

And  trust  himself  to  Thee. 

A.  L.   Waring, 

RESERVATIONS  lie  latent  in  the  mind 
concerning  some  unhallowed  sentiments 
or  habits  in  the  present,  some  possibly 
impending  temptations  in  the  future ;  and  thus 
do  we  cheat  ourselves  of  inward  and  outward 
joys  together.  We  give  up  many  an  indulgence 
for  conscience'  sake,  but  stop  short  at  that  point 
of  entire  faithfulness  wherein  conscience  could 
reward  us.  If  we  would  but  give  ourselves 
wholly  to  God,  —  give  up,  for  the  present  and 
the  future,  every  act,  and,  above  all,  every 
thought  and  every  feeling,  to  be  all  purified  to 
the  uttermost,  and  rendered  the  best,  noblest, 
holiest  we  can  conceive,  —  then  would  sacrifice 
bear  with  it  a  peace  rendering  itself,  I  truly  be- 
lieve, far  easier  than  before. 

F.    P.    COBBE. 


138  May  17 

Wherefore  comfort  yourselves  together^  and  edify 
one  another^  even  as  also  ye  do.  —  I  Thess.  v.  i  i. 

Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself  —  Matt. 
xix.  19. 

So  others  shall 
Take  patience,  labor,  to  their  heart  and  hand, 
From  thy  hand,  and  thy  heart,  and  thy  brave  cheer. 
And  God's  grace  fructify  through  thee  to  all. 
The  least  flower  with  a  brimming  cup  may  stand, 
And  share  its  dewdrop  with  another  near. 

E.  B.   Browning. 

WHAT  is  meant  by  our  neighbor  we  can- 
not doubt ;  it  is  every  one  with  whom 
we  are  brought  into  contact.  First  of 
all,  he  is  literally  our  neighbor  who  is  next  to  us 
in  our  own  family  and  household;  husband  to 
wife,  wife  to  husband,  parent  to  child,  brother 
to  sister,  master  to  servant,  servant  to  master. 
Then  it  is  he  who  is  close  to  us  in  our  own 
neighborhood,  in  our  own  town,  in  our  own 
parish,  in  our  own  street.  With  these  all  true 
charity  begins.  To  love  and  be  kind  to  these 
is  the  very  beginning  of  all  true  religion.  But, 
besides  these,  as  our  Lord  teaches,  it  is  every 
one  who  is  thrown  across  our  path  by  the 
changes  and  chances  of  life;  he  or  she,  whoso- 
ever it  be,  whom  we  have  any  means  of  helping, 
-—the  unfortunate  stranger  whom  we  may  meet 
in  travelling,  the  deserted  friend  whom  no  one 
else  cares  to  look  after.  A.  P.  Stanley. 


May  i8  139 

We  know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto 
life^  because  we  love  the  brethren.  —  I  John  iii.  14. 

He  that  loveth  not  knoweth  not  God;  for  God 
is  love.  —  I  John  iv.  8. 

Mutual  love  the  token  be, 
Lord,  that  we  belong  to  Thee  ; 
Love,  Thine  image,  love  impart ; 
Stamp  it  on  our  face  and  heart ; 
Only  love  to  us  be  given  j 
Lord,  we  ask  no  other  heaven. 

C.  Wesley. 

OH,  how  many  times  we  can  most  of  us 
remember  when  we  would  gladly  have 
made  any  compromise  with  our  con- 
sciences, would  gladly  have  made  the  most 
costly  sacrifices  to  God,  if  He  would  only  have 
excused  us  from  this  duty  of  loving,  of  which 
our  nature  seemed  utterly  incapable.  It  is  far 
easier  to  feel  kindly,  to  act  kindly,  toward  those 
with  whom  we  are  seldom  brought  into  contact, 
whose  tempers  and  prejudices  do  not  rub  against 
ours,  whose  interests  do  not  clash  with  ours,  than 
to  keep  up  an  habitual,  steady,  self-sacrificing 
love  towards  those  whose  weaknesses  and  faults 
are  always  forcing  themselves  upon  us,  and  are 
stirring  up  our  own.  A  man  may  pass  good 
muster  as  a  philanthropist  who  makes  but  a 
poor  master  to  his  servants,  or  father  to  his 
childrctt.  F.  D.  Maurice. 


I40  May  19 

)    Rest  in  the  Lord.,  and  wait  patiently  for  Him. 
—  Ps.  xxxvii.  7. 

Trust  in  Him  at  all  times.  —  Ps.  Ixii.  8. 

Dost  thou  ask  when  comes  His  hour  ? 

Then,  when  it  shall  aid  thee  best. 
Trust  His  faithfulness  and  power, 

Trust  in  Him,  and  quiet  rest.  Anon. 

I  HAD  found  [communion  with  God]  to 
consist,  not  only  in  the  silencing  of  the  out- 
ward man,  but  in  the  silencing  also  of  every 
thought,  and  in  the  concentration  of  the  soul 
and  all  its  powers  into  a  simple,  quiet  watching 
and  waiting  for  the  food  which  its  heavenly 
Father  might  see  fit  either  to  give  or  to  with- 
hold. In  no  case  could  it  be  sent  empty  away  ; 
for,  if  comfort,  light,  or  joy  were  withheld,  the 
act  of  humble  waiting  at  the  gate  of  heavenly 
wisdom  could  not  but  work  patience  in  it,  and 
thus  render  it,  by  humility  and  obedience,  more 
"  meet  to  be  a  partaker  of  the  inheritance  of  the 
saints  in  light,"  and  also  more  blessed  in  itself. 

M.  A.  Kelty. 

"  Rest  in  the  Lord  ;  wait  patiently  for 
Him.*'  In  Hebrew,  "  be  silent  to  God,  and  let 
Him  mould  thee."  Keep  still,  and  He  will 
mould  thee  to  the  right  shape. 

Martin  Luther 


May  20  141 

To  be   spiritually  minded  is  life  and  peace.  — 
Rom.  viii.  6. 


Stilled  now  be  every  anxious  care  ; 
See  God's  great  goodness  everywhere  ; 
Leave  all  to  Him  in  perfect  rest  : 
He  will  do  all  things  for  the  best. 

From  the  German. 


WE  should  all  endeavor  and  labor  for  a 
calmer  spirit,  that  we  may  the  better 
serve  God  in  praying  to  Him  and 
praising  Him;  and  serve  one  another  in  love, 
that  we  may  be  fitted  to  do  and  receive  good ; 
that  we  may  make  our  passage  to  heaven  more 
easy  and  cheerful,  without  drooping  and  hang- 
ing the  wing.  So  much  as  we  are  quiet  and 
cheerful  upon  good  ground,  so  much  we  live, 
and  are,  as  it  were,  in  heaven. 

R.    SiBBES. 


Possess  yourself  as  much  as  you  possibly  can 
in  peace;  not  by  any  effort,  but  by  letting  all 
things  fall  to  the  ground  which  trouble  or  excite 
you.  This  is  no  work,  but  is,  as  it  were,  a 
setting  down  a  fluid  to  settle  that  has  become 
turbid  through  agitation. 

Maoamb  Guyon. 


142  May  21 


The  beloved  of  the  Lord  ihall  dwell  in  safety  by 
Him  ;  and  the  Lord  shall  cover  him  all  the  day 
long. — Deut.  xxxiii.  12. 


Whate'er  events  betide, 

Thy  will  they  all  perform  ; 
Safe  in  Thy  breast  my  head  I  hide. 

Nor  fear  the  coming  storm. 

H.  F.  Lyte. 


I  HAVE  seemed  to  see  a  need  of  everything 
God  gives  me,  and  want  nothing  that  He 
denies  me.  There  is  no  dispensation, 
though  afflictive,  but  either  in  it,  or  after  it,  I 
find  that  I  could  not  be  without  it.  Whether 
it  be  taken  from  or  not  given  me,  sooner  or 
later  God  quiets  me  in  Himself  without  it.  I 
cast  all  my  concerns  on  the  Lord,  and  live 
securely  on  the  care  and  wisdom  of  my  heavenly 
Father.  My  ways,  you  know,  are,  in  a  sense, 
hedged  up  with  thorns,  and  grow  darker  and 
darker  daily ;  but  yet  J  distrust  not  my  good 
God  in  the  least,  and  live  more  quietly  in  the 
absence  of  all  by  faith,  than  I  should  do,  I  am 
persuaded,  if  I  possessed  them. 

Joseph  Eliot,   1664. 


May  22  143 

He  that  dwelleth  in  the  secret  place  of  the  Most 
High  shall  abide  under  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty. 
—  Ps.  xci.   I. 


They  who  on  the  Lord  rely, 
Safely  dwell  though  danger's  nigh  ; 
Lo  1   His  sheltering  wings  are  spread 
O'er  each  faithful  servant's  head. 
When  they  wake,  or  when  they  sleep, 
Angel  guards  their  vigils  keep  ; 
Death  and  danger  may  be  near. 
Faith  and  love  have  nought  to  fear. 

Harriet  Auber. 


«  rr^HERE  shall  no  evil  befall  thee,  neither 
I  shall  any  plague  come  nigh  thy  dwell- 
ing," is  a  promise  to  the  fullest  extent 
verified  in  the  case  of  all  "  who  dwell  in  the 
secret  place  of  the  Most  High."  To  them 
sorrows  are  not  "  evils,"  sicknesses  are  not 
"  plagues ; "  the  shadow  of  the  Almighty  ex- 
tending far  around  those  who  abide  under  it, 
alters  the  character  of  all  things  which  come 
within  its  influence. 

Anon. 


It  is  faith's  work  to  claim  and  challenge  lov- 
ing-kindness out  of  all  the  roughest  strokes  of 
God. 

S.  Rutherford. 


144  May  23 

Be  content  with  such  things  as  ye  have.  —  Heb. 
xiii.  5. 

/  have  learned^  in  whatsoever  state  I  am,  therein 
to  he  content.  —  Phil.  iv.  1 1  (  R.  V.). 


No  longer  forward  nor  behind 

I  look,  in  hope  or  fear  ; 
But,  grateful,  take  the  good  I  find. 

The  best  of  now  and"  here. 

J.  G.  Whittier. 


IF  we  wished  to  gain  contentment,  we  might 
try  such  rules  as  these  :  — 
I.  Allow  thyself  to  complain  of  nothing, 
not  even  of  the  weather. 

2.  Never  picture  thyself  to  thyself  under  any 
circumstances  in  which  thou  art  not. 

3.  Never  compare  thine  own  lot  with  that  of 
another. 

4.  Never  allow  thyself  to  dwell  on  the  wish 
that  this  or  that  had  been,  or  were,  otherwise 
than  it  was,  or  is.  God  Almighty  loves  thee 
better  and  more  wisely  than  thou  dost  thyself. 

5.  Never  dwell  on  the  morrow.  Remember 
rthat  it  is  God's,  not  thine.  The  heaviest  part 
>of  sorrow  often  is  to  look  forward  to  it.  "  The 
'  Lord  will  provide." 

E.     B.    PUSEY. 


May  24  145 


Nent  no  chastening  for  the  present  seemeth  to  hi 
joyous^  hut  grievous :  nevertheless  afterward  it 
yieldeth  the  peaceable  fruit  of  righteousness  unto 
them  which  are  exercised  thereby.  —  Heb.  xii.  1 1. 


I  CANNOT  say, 
Beneath  the  pressure  of  life's  cares  to-day, 

I  joy  in  these  ; 

But  I  can  say 
That  I  had  rather  walk  this  rugged  way. 

If  Hinr.  it  please. 

S.   G.  Brownin( 


THE  particular  annoyance  which  befell  you 
this  morning  ;  the  vexatious  words  which 
met  your  ear  and  "  grieved  "  your  spirit ; 
the  disappointment  which  was  His  appointment 
for  to-day;  the  slight  but  hindering  ailment; 
the  presence  of  some  one  who  is  "  a  grief  of 
mind"  to  you,  —  whatever  this  day  seemeth  not 
joyous,  but  grievous,  is  linked  in  "  the  good 
pleasure  of  His  goodness  "  with  a  corresponding 
afterward  of  "  peaceable  fruit,"  the  very  seed 
from  which,  if  you  only  do  not  choke  it,  this 
shall  spring  and  ripen. 

F.  R.  Havergal. 


146  May  25 

O  my  Father^  if  it  be  possible^  let  this  cup  pan 
from  me :  nevertheless  not  as  I  will,  but  as  Thou 
wilt.  —  Matt.  xxvi.  39. 

0  Lord  my  God,  do  Thou  Thy  holy  will,  — 

I  will  lie  still. 

1  will  not  stir,  lest  I  forsake  Thine  arm. 

And  break  the  charm 
Which  lulls  me,  clinging  to  my  Father's  breast. 

In  perfect  rest.  J.  Keble. 

RESIGNATION  to  the  will  of  God  is  the 
whole  of  piety  ;  it  includes  in  it  all  that  is 
good  ;  and  is  a  source  of  the  most  settled 
quiet  and  composure  of  mind.  Our  resignation 
to  the  will  of  God  may  be  said  to  be  perfect, 
when  our  will  is  lost  and  resolved  up  into  His ; 
when  we  rest  in  His  will  as  our  end,  as  being 
itself  most  just,  and  right,  and  good.  And 
where  is  the  impossibility  of  such  an  affection  to 
what  is  just  and  right  and  good,  such  a  loyalty 
of  heart  to  the  Governor  of  the  universe,  as  shall 
prevail  over  all  sinister  indirect  desires  of  our 
own  ?  Joseph  Butler. 

There  are  no  disappointments  to  those  whose 
wills  are  buried  in  the  will  of  God. 

F.  W.  Faber. 

Lord,  Thy  will  be  done  in  father,  mother, 
child,  in  everything  and  everywhere  j  without  a 
reserve,  without  a  but,  an  if,  or  a  limit. 

St.  Francis  de  Sales. 


May  26  147 


The  Lord  heareth  your  murmurings,  which 
murmur  against  Him.  —  Ex.  xvi.  8. 


tch  ye) 


Without  murmur,  uncomplaining 

In  His  hand, 
Leave  whatever  things  thou  canst  not 

Understand. 

K.  R.  Hagenbach. 

ONE  great  characteristic  of  holiness  Is  never \ 
to    be    exacting- — never    to    complain.  4 
Each  complaint  drags  us  down  a  degree,  / 
in  our  upward  course.      If  you  would  discern  in  / 
whom    God's  spirit  dwells,  watch  that  person,  / 
and  notice  whether  you  ever  hear  him  murmur.  / 

Gold  Dust,  j 

When  we  wish  things  to  be  otherwise  than 
they  are,  we  lose  sight  of  the  great  practical 
parts  of  the  life  of  godliness.  We  wish,  and 
wish  —  when,  if  we  have  done  all  that  lies  on 
us,  we  should  fall  quietly  into  the  hands  of  God. 
Such  wishing  cuts  the  very  sinews  of  our  privi- 
leges and  consolations.  You  are  leaving  me 
for  a  time ;  and  you  say  that  you  wish  you  could 
leave  me  better,  or  leave  me  with  some  assist- 
ance :  but,  if  it  is  right  for  you  to  go,  it  is  right 
for  me  to  meet  what  lies  on  me,  without  a  wish 
that  I  had  less  to  meet,  or  were  better  able  to 
meet  it. 

R.  CficiL. 


148  May  27 

He  that   is  faithful  In  that  which  is   least  /i 
faithful  also  in  much.  —  Luke  xvi.  10. 

The  Lord  preserveth  the  faithful.  —  Ps.  xxxi.  23 

The  trivial  round,  the  common  task, 
Would  furnish  all  we  ought  to  ask  ; 
Room  to  deny  ourselves  ;  a  road 
To  bring  us,  daily,  nearer  God. 

J.  Keble. 


E 


XACTNESS  in  little  duties  is  a  wonderful 
source  of  cheerfulness. 

F.  W.   Faber. 


The  unremitting  retention  of  simple  and 
high  sentiments  in  obscure  duties  is  hardening 
the  character  to  that  temper  which  will  work 
with  honor,  if  need  be,  in  the  tumult  or  on  the 
scaffold.  R.  W.  Emerson. 

We  are  too  fond  of  our  own  will.  We  want 
to  be  doing  what  we  fancy  mighty  things ;  but 
the  great  point  is,  to  do  small  things,  when 
called  to  them,  in  a  right  spirit.  R.  Cecil. 

It  is  not  on  great  occasions  only  that  we  are 

/  required  to' be  faithful  to  the  will  of  God  ;  occa- 

/  sions  constantly  occur,  arid  we  should  be  sur- 

/  prised   to    perceive    how    much    our    spiritual 

U  advancement  depends  on  small  obediences. 

Madame  Swetchine. 


May  28  149 


Strengthened  with  all  mighty  according  to  His 
glorious  power^  unto  all  patience  and  long-suffering 
with  joy  fulness.  —  Col.  1.  11. 


God  doth  not  need 
Either  man's  works  or  His  own  gifts  ;  who  best 
Bear  His  mild  yoke,  they  serve  Him  best  ;  His  state 
Is  kingly  ;  thousands  at  His  bidding  speed, 
And  post  o'er  land  and  ocean  without  rest  j 
They  also  serve  who  only  stand  and  wait. 

J.  Milton. 


WE  cannot  always  be  doing  a  great  work, 
but  we  can  always  be  doing  something 
that  belongs  to  our  condition.  To  be 
silent,  to  suffer,  to  pray  when  we  cannot  act,  is 
acceptable  to  God.  A  disappointment,  a  con- 
tradiction, a  harsh  word,  an  annoyance,  a  wrong 
received  and  endured  as  in  His  presence,  is 
worth  more  than  a  long  prayer;  and  we  do  not 
lose  time  if  we  bear  its  loss  with  gentleness  and 
patience,  provided  the  loss  was  inevitable,  and 
was  not  caused  by  our  own  fault. 

Francois  de  la  Mothe  Fenelon. 


150  May  29 

Be  not  slothful,  but  followers  of  them  who 
through  faith  and  patience  inherit  the  promises. 
—  Heb.  vi.  12. 


Where  now  with  pain  thou  treadest,  trod 
The  whitest  of  the  saints  of  God  ! 
To  show  thee  where  their  feet  were  set, 
The  light  which  led  them  shineth  yet. 

J.  G.   Whittier. 


LET  us  learn  from  this  communion  of 
saints  to  live  in  hope.  Those  who  are 
now  at  rest  were  once  like  ourselves. 
They  were  once  weak,  faulty,  sinful ;  they  had 
their  burdens  and  hindrances,  their  slumbering 
and  weariness,  their  failures  and  their  falls. 
But  now  they  have  overcome.  Their  life  was 
once  homely  and  common-place.  Their  day  ran 
out  as  ours.  Morning  and  noon  and  night 
came  and  went  to  them  as  to  us.  Their  life, 
too,  was  as  lonely  and  sad  as  yours.  Little 
fretful  circumstances  and  frequent  disturbing 
changes  wasted  away  their  hours  as  yours. 
There  is  nothing  in  your  life  that  was  not  in 
theirs ;  there  was  nothing  in  theirs  but  may  be 
also  in  your  own.  They  have  overcome,  each 
one,  and  one  by  one  ;  each  in  his  turn,  when 
the  day  came,  and  God  called  him  to  the  trial. 
And  so  shall  you  likewise. 

'  H.  E.  Manning. 


May  30  151 

And  thus  this  man  died^  leaving  his  death  for  an 
example  of  a  noble  courage^  and  a  memorial  of 
virtue^  not  only  unto  young  men^  but  unto  all  his 
nation.  —  2  Mac.  vi.  31. 

Zebulon  and  Naphtali  were  a  people  that  jeop' 
arded  their  lives  unto  the  death  in  the  high  places 
of  the  field. — Judges  v.  18. 

Though  Love  repine,  and  Reason  chafe, 
There  came  a  voice  without  reply,  — 

'T  is  man's  perdition  to  be  safe. 

When  for  the  truth  he  ought  to  die. 

R.  W.  Emerson. 

SOME  say  that  the  age  of  chivalry  is  past. 
The  age  of  chivalry  is  never  past,  so  long 
as  there  is  a  wrong  left  unredressed  on 
earth,  or  a  man  or  woman  left  to  say,  "  I  will 
redress  that  wrong,  or  spend  my  life  in  the  at- 
tempt." The  age  of  chivalry  is  never  past,  so 
long  as  we  have  faith  enough  to  say,  "  God  will 
help  me  to  redress  that  wrong ;  or,  if  not  me. 
He  will  help  those  that  come  after  me,  for  His 
eternal  Will  is  to  overcome  evil  with  good." 

C,    KiNGSLEY. 

Thus  man  is  made  equal  to  every  event. 
He  can  face  danger  for  the  right.  A  poor, 
tender,  painful  body,  he  can  run  into  flame  or 
bullets  or  pestilence,  with  duty  for  his  guide. 

R.  W.  Emerson. 


152  May  31 

Let  all  those  that  put  their  trust  in  Thee  re- 
joice :  .  .  .  let  them  also  that  love  Thy  name  be 
joyful  in  Thee.  — Ps.  v.  II. 

He  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green  pastures.  — 
Ps.  xxiii.  2. 

I  CAN  hear  these  violets  chorus 
To  the  sky's  benediction  above  ; 

And  we  all  are  together  lying 
On  the  bosom  of  Infinite  Love. 

Oh,  the  peace  at  the  heart  of  Nature  J) 
Oh,  the  light  that  is  not  of  day  f"^ 

Why  seek  it  afar  forever. 

When  it  cannot  be  lifted  away  ? 

W.  C.  Gannett. 

WHAT  inexpressible  joy  for  me,  to  look 
up  through  the  apple-blossoms  and  the 
fluttering  leaves,  and  to  see  God's  love 
there ;  to  listen  to  the  thrush  that  has  built  his 
nest  among  them,  and  to  feel  God's  love,  who 
cares  for  the  birds,  in  every  note  that  swells  his 
little  throat ;  to  look  beyond  to  the  bright  blue 
depths  of  the  sky,  and  feel  they  are  a  canopy  of 
blessing,  —  the  roof  of  the  house  of  my  Father ; 
that  if  clouds  pass  over  it,  it  is  the  unchange- 
able light  they  veil ;  that,  even  when  the  day 
itself  passes,  I  shall  see  that  the  night  itself  only 
unveils  new  worlds  of  light ;  and  to  know  that  if 
I  could  unwrap  fold  after  fold  of  God's  universe, 
I  should  only  unfold  more  and  more  blessing, 
and  see  deeper  and  deeper  into  the  love  which 
is  at  the  heart  of  all.  Elizabeth  Charles. 


June  I  153 


One  thing  have  I  desired  of  the  Lord^  that  will  1 
seek  after ;  that  I  may  dwell  in  the  house  of  the 
Lord  all  the  days  of  my  life^  to  behold  the  beauty 
of  the  Lordy  and  to  enquire  in  His  temple.  —  Ps. 
xxvii.  4. 


Thy  beauty,  O  my  Father  !  All  is  Thine  ; 

But  there  is  beauty  in  Thyself,  from  whence 
The  beauty  Thou  hast  made  doth  ever  flow 

In  streams  of  never-failing  affluence. 

Thou  art  the  Temple  !  and  though  I  am  lame,  — 
Lame  from  my  birth,  and  shall  be  till  I  die,  — 

I  enter  through  the  Gate  called  Beautiful, 

And  am  alone  with  Thee,  O  Thou  Most  High  ! 

J.   W.  Chadwick. 


CONSIDER  that  all  which  appears  beauti- 
ful outwardly,  is  solely  derived  from  the 
invisible  Spirit  which  is  the  source  of 
that  external  beauty,  and  say  joyfully,  "  Behold, 
these  are  streamlets  from  the  uncreated  Foun- 
tain J  behold,  these  are  drops  from  the  infinite 
Ocean  of  all  good  !  Oh  !  how  does  my  inmost 
heart  rejoice  at  the  thought  of  that  eternal,  in^ 
finite  Beauty,  which  is  the  source  and  origin  of 
all  created  beauty  1 " 

L.    SCUPOLI. 


154  June  2 

JVe  all^  with  open  face  beholding  as  in  a  glass 
the  glory  of  the  Lord^  are  changed  into  the  same 
image  from  glory  to  glory ^  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of 
she  Lord.  —  2  Cor.  iii.  18. 

Then  every  tempting  form  of  sin. 
Shamed  in  Thy  presence,  disappears, 

And  all  the  glowing,  raptured  soul 
The  likeness  it  contemplates  wears. 

P.  Doddridge. 

THEN  does  a  good  man  become  the  taber- 
nacle of  God,  wherein  the  divine  She- 
chinah  does  rest,  and  which  the  divine 
glory  fills,  when  the  frame  of  his  mind  and 
life  is  wholly  according  to  that  idea  and  pattern 
which  he  receives  from  the  mount.  We  best 
glorify  Him  when  we  grow  most  like  to  Him  : 
and  we  then  act  most  for  His  glory,  when  a 
true  spirit  of  sanctity,  justice,  and  meekness, 
runs  through  all  our  actions ;  when  we  so  live 
in  the  world  as  becomes  those  that  converse 
with  the  great  Mind  and  Wisdom  of  the  whole 
world,  with  that  Almighty  Spirit  that  made, 
supports,  and  governs  all  things,  with  that  Be- 
ing from  whence  all  good  flows,  and  in  which 
there  is  no  spot,  stain,  or  shadow  of  evil ;  and 
so  being  captivated  and  overcome  by  the  sense 
of  the  Divine  loveliness  and  goodness,  endeavor 
to  be  like  Him,  and  conform  ourselves,  as  much 
as  may  be,  to  Him.  Dr.  John  Smith. 


June  3  155 

The  righteous  shall  be  glad  in  the  Lord^  and 
shall  trust  in  Him.  — Ps.  Ixiv.  10. 

Whoso  trust eth    in  the  Lordy  happy  is   he.'— 
Prov.  xvi.  20. 

The  heart  that  trusts  forever  sings. 
And  feels  as  light  as  it  had  wings, 
A  well  of  peace  within  it  springs,  — 

Come  good  or  ill, 
Whate'er  to-day,  to-morrow  brings. 

It  is  His  will. 

I.  Williams. 

HE  will  weave  no  longer  a  spotted  life  of 
shreds  and  patches,  but  he  will  live  with 
a  divine  unity.  He  will  cease  from  what 
is  base  and  frivolous  in  his  life,  and  be  content 
with  all  places,  and  with  any  service  he  can 
render.  He  will  calmly  front  the  morrow,  in 
the  negligency  of  that  trust  which  carries  God 
with  it,  and  so  hath  already  the  whole  future  in 
the  bottom  of  the  heart.  R.  W.  Emerson. 

He  who  believes  in  God  is  not  careful  for  the 
morrow,  but   labors  joyfully  and  with   a  great 
heart.     "  For    He   giveth    His    beloved,  as    in 
sleep."     They  must  work  and  watch,  yet  never 
*)  be  careful  or  anxious,  but  commit  all  to  Him, 

iand  live  in  serene  tranquillity  ;  with  a  quiet  heart, 
as  one  who  sleeps  safely  and  quietly. 

Martin  Luther. 


156  June  4 

Therefore^  my  beloved  brethren^  be  ye  stedfast^ 
unmoveable^  always  abounding  In  the  work  of  the 
Lord^  forasmuch  as  ye  know  that  your  labor  is  not 
in  vain  in  the  Lord.  —  I  CoR.  xv.  58. 

Say  not,  'Twas  all  in  vain, 

The  anguish  and  the  darkness  and  the  strife  ; 
Love  thrown  upon  the  waters  comes  again 

In  quenchless  yearnings  for  a  nobler  life. 

Anna  Shipton. 

DID  you  ever  hear  of  a  man  who  had 
striven  all  his  life  faithfully  and  singly 
toward  an  object  and  in  no  measure  ob- 
tained it  ?  If  a  man  constantly  aspires,  is  he 
not  elevated  ?  Did  ever  a  man  try  heroism, 
magnanimity,  truth,  sincerity,  and  find  that 
there  was  no  advantage  in  them,  —  that  it  was 
a  vain  endeavor  ? 

H.  D.  Thoreau. 

Do  right,  and  God's  recompense  to  you  will 
be  the  power  of  doing  more  right.  Give,  and 
God's  reward  to  you  will  be  the  spirit  of  giving 
more  :  a  blessed  spirit,  for  it  is  the  Spirit  of  God 
himself,  whose  Life  is  the  blessedness  of  giving. 
Love,  and  God  will  pay  you  with  the  capacity 
of  more  love;  for  love  is  Heaven  —  love  is  God 
within  you. 

F.  W.  Robertson. 


June  5  157 

Speak ^  Lord;  for    Thy   servant   heareth i 

Sam.  iii.  9. 

Though  heralded  with  nought  of  fear. 

Or  outward  sign  or  show  : 
Though  only  to  the  inward  ear 

It  whispers  soft  and  low  ; 
Though  dropping,  as  the  manna  fell, 

Unseen,  yet  from  above. 
Noiseless  as  dew-fall^  heed  it  well,  — 

Thy  Father' s  call  of  love. 

J.  G.  Whittier 

THIS  is  one  result  of  the  attitude  into 
which  we  are  put  by  humility,  by  dis- 
interestedness, by  purity,  by  calmness, 
that  we  have  the  opportunity,  the  disengage- 
ment, the  silence,  in  which  we  may  watch  what 
is  the  will  of  God  concerning  us.  If  we  think 
no  more  of  ourselves  than  we  ought  to  think,  if 
we  seek  not  our  own  but  others'  welfare,  if  we 
are  prepared  to  take  all  things  as  God's  dealings 
with  us,  then  we  may  have  a  chance  of  catching 
from  time  to  time  what  God  has  to  tell  us.  In 
the  Mussulman  devotions,  one  constant  gesture 
is  to  put  the  hands  to  the  ears,  as  if  to  listen  for 
the  messages  from  the  other  world.  This  is  the 
attitude,  the  posture  which  our  minds  assume, 
if  we  have  a  standing-place  above  and  beyond 
the  stir  and  confusion  and  dissipation  of  this 
mortal  world. 

A.  P.  Stanley. 


158  June  6 

Him  that  overcometh  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the 
temple  of  my  God. —  Rev.  iii.  12. 

In  whom  ye  also  are  huilded  together  for  an  habi- 
tation of  God  through  the  Spirit.  -^Eph.  ii.  22. 

None  the  place  ordained  refiiseth, 
They  are  one,  and  they  are  all, 

Living  stones,  the  Builder  chooseth 
For  the  courses  of  His  wall. 

Jean  Ingelow. 

SLOWLY,  through  all  the  universe,  that 
temple  of  God  is  being  built.  Wherever, 
in  any  world,  a  soul,  by  free-willed  obedi- 
ence, catches  the  fire  of  God's  likeness,  it  is  set 
into  the  growing  walls,  a  living  stone.  When, 
in  your  hard  fight,  in  your  tiresome  drudgery,  or 
in  your  terrible  temptation,  you  catch  the  pur- 
pose of  your  being,  and  give  yourself  to  God, 
and  so  give  Him  the  chance  to  give  Himself  to 
you,  your  life,  a  living  stone,  is  taken  up  and  set 
into  that  growing  wall.  Wherever  souls  are 
being  tried  and  ripened,  in  whatever  common- 
place and  homely  ways ;  —  there  God  is  hewing 
out  the  pillars  for  His  temple.  Oh,  if  the  stone 
can  only  have  some  vision  of  the  temple  of 
which  it  is  to  be  a  part  forever,  what  patience 
must  fill  it  as  it  feels  the  blows  of  the  hammer, 
and  knows  that  success  for  it  is  simply  to  let 
itself  be  wrought  into  what  shape  the  Master 
wills.  Phillim  Brooks. 


June  7  159 

Te  are  all  the  children  of  light ^  and  the  children 
of  the  day.  —  i  Thess.  v.  5. 

Light  is  sown  for  the  righteous^  and  gladness  for 
the  upright  in  heart.  —  Ps.  xcvii.  1 1. 


Serene  will  be  our  days  and  bright, 

And  happy  will  our  nature  be. 
When  love  is  an  unerring  light. 

And  joy  its  own  security. 

W.  Wordsworth. 


NOTHING  can  produce  so  great  a  seren- 
ity of  life,  as  a  mind  free  from  guilt,  and 
kept  untainted,  not  only  from  actions, 
but  purposes  that  are  wicked.  By  this  means 
the  soul  will  be  not  only  unpolluted,  but  not 
disturbed ;  the  fountain  will  run  clear  and  un- 
sullied, and  the  streams  that  flow  from  it  will  be 
just  and  honest  deeds,  ecstasies  of  satisfaction, 
a  brisk  energy  of  spirit,  which  makes  a  man  an 
enthusiast  in  his  joy,  and  a  tenacious  memory, 
sweeter  than  hope.  For  as  shrubs  which  are 
cut  down  with  the  morning  dew  upon  them  do 
for  a  long  time  after  retain  their  fragrancy,  so 
the  good  actions  of  a  wise  man  perfume  his 
mind,  and  leave  a  rich  scent  behind  them.  So 
that  joy  is,  as  it  were,  watered  with  these 
essences,  and  owes  its  flourishing  to  them. 

PtUTARCH. 


i6o  June  8 

Who  hath  despised  the  day  of  small  things  ? 
Zech.  iv.  10. 

Little  things 
On  little  wings 
Bear  little  souls  to  heaven.  Anon. 


AN  occasional  effort  even  of  an  ordinary 
holiness  may  accomplish  great  acts  of  sac- 
rifice, or  bear  severe  pressure  of  unwonted 
trial,  specially  if  it  be  the  subject  of  observation. 
But  constant  discipline  in  unnoticed  ways,  and 
the  spirit's  silent  unselfishness,  becoming  the 
hidden  habit  of  the  life,  give  to  it  its  true  saintly 
beauty,  and  this  is  the  result  of  care  and  lowly 
love  in  little  things.  Perfection  is  attained  most 
readily  by  this  constancy  of  religious  faithfulness 
in  all  minor  details  of  life,  consecrating  the  daily 
efforts  of  self-forgetting  love.         T.  T.  Carter. 

Love's  secret  is  to  be  always  doing  things  for 
God,  and  not  to  mind  because  they  are  such 
very  little  ones.  F.  W.  Faber. 

There  may  be  living  and  habitual  conversa- 
tion in  heaven,  under  the  aspect  of  the  most 
simple,  ordinary  life.  Let  us  always  remember 
that  holiness  does  not  consist  in  doing  uncommon 
things,  but  in  doing  everything  with  purity  of  ' 
heart.  H.  E.  Manning. 


June  9  i6i 

He  that  is  slow  to  anger  is  better  than  the 
mighty  ;  and  he  that  ruleth  his  spirit  than  he  that 
taketh  a  city.  —  Prov.  xvi.  32. 


Purge  from  our  hearts  the  stains  so  deep  and  foul. 

Of  wrath  and  pride  and  care  ; 
Send  Thine  own  holy  calm  upon  the  soul, 

And  bid  it  settle  there  1 

Anon. 


LET  this  truth  be  present  to  thee  in  the  ex- 
citement of  anger,  —  that  to  be  moved  by 
passion  is  not  manly,  but  that  mildness 
and  gentleness,  as  they  are  more  agreeable  to 
human  nature,  so  also  are  they  more  manly. 
For  in  the  same  degree  in  which  a  man's  mind 
is  nearer  to  freedom  from  all  passion,  in  the 
same  degree  also  is  it  nearer  to  strength. 

Marcus  Antoninus, 


It  is  no  great  matter  to  associate  with  the 
good  and  gentle,  for  this  is  naturally  pleasing  to 
all,  and  every  one  willingly  enjoyeth  peace,  and 
loveth  those  best  that  agree  with  him.  But  to 
be  able  to  live  peaceably  with  hard  and  perverse 
persons,  or  with  the  disorderly,  or  with  such  as 
go  contrary  to  us,  is  a  great  grace,  and  a  most 
commendable  and  manly  thing. 

Thomas  a  Kemhs. 
II 


i62  June  10 

Who  is  among  you  that  feareth  the  Lord^  that 
obeyeth  the  voice  of  His  servant^  that  walketh  in 
darkness^  and  hath  no  light  ?  let  him  trust  in  the 
name  of  the  Lord^  and  stay  upon  his  God.  —  Isa. 
1.  10. 

The  Lord  my  God  will  enlighten  my  darkness. 
—  Ps.  xviii,  28. 

When  we  in  darkness  walk, 

Nor  feel  the  heavenly  flame, 
Then  is  the  time  to  trust  our  God, 

And  rest  upon  His  name. 

A.    M.    TOPLADY. 

HE  has  an  especial  tenderness  of  love 
towards  thee  for  that  thou  art  in  the 
dark  and  hast  no  light,  and  His  heart  is 
glad  when  thou  dost  arise  and  say,  ''  I  will  go 
to  my  Father."  For  He  sees  thee  through  all 
the  gloom  through  which  thou  canst  not  see 
Him.  Say  to  Him,  "  My  God,  I  am  very  dull 
and  low  and  hard  ;  but  Thou  art  wise  and  high 
and  tender,  and  Thou  art  my  God.  I  am  Thy 
child.  Forsake  me  not."  Then  fold  the  arms 
of  thy  faith,  and  wait  in  quietness  until  light 
goes  up  in  the  darkness.  Fold  the  arms  of  thy 
Faith,  I  say,  but  not  of  thy  Action:  bethink 
thee  of  something  that  thou  oughtest  to  do,  and 
go  and  do  it,  if  it  be  but  the  sweeping  of  a 
room,  or  the  preparing  of  a  meal,  or  a  visit  to  a 
friend  j  heed  not  thy  feelings :  do  thy  work. 

G.   Macdonald. 


June  II  163 

In  the  day  when  I  cried  Thou  answeredst  me^ 
and  strengthenedst  me  with  strength  in  my  soul.  — 
Ps.  cxxxviii.  3. 


It  is  not  that  I  feel  less  weak,  but  Thou 
Wilt  be  my  strength  ;  it  is  not  that  I  see 
Less  sin  ;  but  more  of  pardoning  love  with  Thee, 
And  all-sufficient  grace.      Enough  !     And  now 
All  fluttering  thought  is  stilled ;  I  only  rest. 
And  feel  that  Thou  art  near,  and  know  that  I  am  blest. 

F.  R.  Havergal. 


YEA,  though  thou  canst  not  believe,  yet  be 
not  dismayed  thereat ;  only  do  thou  sink 
into,  or  at  least  pant  after  the  hidden 
measure  of  life,  which  is  not  in  that  which  dis- 
tresseth,  disturbeth,and  filleth  thee  with  thoughts, 
fears,  troubles,  anguish,  darknesses,  terrors,  and 
the  like ;  no,  no  !  but  in  that  which  inclines  to 
the  patience,  to  the  stillness,  to  the  hope,  to  the 
waiting,  to  the  silence  before  the  Father. 

I.  Penington. 

We  have  only  to  be  patient,  to  pray,  and  to 
do  His  will,  according  to  our  present  light  and 
strength,  and  the  growth  of  the  soul  will  go  on. 
The  plant  grows  in  the  mist  and  under  clouds 
as  truly  as  under  sunshine.  So  does  the 
heavenly  principle  within. 

W.  E.  Channing. 


164  June  12 

Then  answered  he  me^  and  sa'td^  This  is  the  con- 
dition of  the  battle  which  man  that  is  horn  upon  the 
earth  shall  Jight ;  that,  if  he  be  overcome,  he  shall 
suffer  as  thou  hast  said:  but  if  he  get  the  victory, 
he  shall  receive  the  thing  that  I  say.  —  2  Esdras 
vii.  57,  58. 

One  holy  Church,  one  army  strong, 

One  steadfast  high  intent, 
One  working  band,  one  harvest-song, 

One  King  omnipotent.  S.  Johnson. 

WE  listened  to  a  man  whom  we  felt  to  be, 
with  all  his  heart  and  soul  and  strength, 
striving  against  whatever  was  mean  and 
unmanly  and  unrighteous  in  our  little  world. 
It  was  not  the  cold  clear  voice  of  one  giving 
advice  and  warning  from  serene  heights  to 
those  who  were  struggling  and  sinning  below, 
but  the  warm  living  voice  of  one  who  was  fight- 
ing for  us  and  by  our  sides,  and  calling  on  us  to 
help  him  and  ourselves  and  one  another.  And 
so,  wearily  and  little  by  little,  but  surely  and 
steadily  on  the  whole,  was  brought  home  to  the 
young  boy,  for  the  first  time,  the  meaning  of  his 
life  ;  that  it  was  no  fool's  or  sluggard's  paradise 
into  which  he  had  wandered  by  chance,  but  a 
battle-field  ordained  from  of  old,  where  there 
are  no  spectators,  but  the  youngest  must  take 
his  side,  and  the  stakes  are  life  and  death. 

Thomas  Hughes. 


June  13  165 

If  we  walk  in  the  light  as  He  is  in  the  Hght^  we 
have  fellowship  one  with  another.  —  i  John  i.  7. 

God  is  not  unrighteous  to  forget  your  work  and 
labor  of  love^  which  ye  have  showed  toward  His 
name^  in  that  ye  have  ministered  to  the  saints,  and 
do  minister.  — Heb.  vi.  10. 

Wherever  in  the  world  I  am, 

In  whatsoe'er  estate, 
I  have  a  fellowship  with  hearts. 

To  keep  and  cultivate. 
And  a  work  of  lowly  love  to  do 

For  the  Lord  on  whom  I  wait. 

A.  L.  Waring. 

WE  do  not  always  perceive  that  even  the 
writing  of  a  note  of  congratulation,  the 
fabrication  of  something  intended  as  an 
offering  of  affection,  our  necessary  intercourse 
with  characters  which  have  no  congeniality  with 
our  own,  or  hours  apparently  trifled  away  in 
the  domestic  circle,  may  be  made  by  us  the 
performance  of  a  most  sacred  and  blessed 
work ;  even  the  carrying  out,  after  our  feeble 
measure,  of  the  design  of  God  for  the  increase 
of  happiness.  Sarah  W.  Stephen. 

Definite  work  is  not  always  that  which  is  cut 
and  squared  for  us,  but  that  which  comes  as  a 
claim  upon  the  conscience,  whether  it 's  nursing 
in  a  hospital,  or  hemming  a  handkerchief. 

Elizabeth  M.  Sewell. 


I 66  June  14 

The  Lord  shall  give  thee  rest  from  thy  sorrow^ 
and  from  thy  fear^  and  from  the  hard  bondage 
wherein  thou  wast  made  to  serve.  —  Isa.  xiv.  3, 

To-day,  beneath  Thy  chastening  eye, 
I  crave  alone  for  peace  and  rest  ; 
Submissive  in  Thy  hand  to  lie. 
And  feel  that  it  is  best. 

J.   G.   Whittikr. 

OLORD,  who  art  as  the  Shadow  of  a  great 
Rock  in  a  weary  land,  who  beho'dest  Thy 
weak  creatures  weary  of  labor,  weary  of 
pleasure,  weary  of  nope  deferred,  weary  of  self; 
in  Thine  abundant  compassion,  and  unutterable 
tenderness,  bring  us,  I  pray  Thee,  unto  Thy 
rest.     Amen. 

Christina  G.  Rossetti. 


f  Grant  to  me  above  all  things  that  can  be 
.'  desiied,  to  rest  in  Thee,  and  in  Thee  to  have 
my  heart  at  peace.  Thou  art  the  true  peace  of 
'j  the  heart,  Thou  its  only  rest ;  out  of  Thee  all 
(.  things  are  hard  and  restless.  In  this  very  peace, 
(  that  is,  in  Thee,  the  One  Chiefest  Eternal  Good, 
)  I  will  sleep  and  rest.     Amen. 

Thomas  X  Kempis. 

\      Thou  hast  made  us  for  Thyself,  O  Lord  ;  and 
I  our  heart  is  restless  until  it  rests  in  Thee. 

St.  Augustine. 


June  15  167 

God  is  our  refuge  and  strength^  a  very  present 
help  in  trouble.  Therefore  will  not  we  fear ^  though 
the  earth  be  removed.^  and  though  the  mountains  be 
carried  into  the  midst  of  the  sea.  —  Ps.  xlvi.  i,  2. 


Though  waves  and  storms  go  o'er  my  head, 

Though  strength  and  health  and  friends  be  gone. 

Though  joys  be  withered  all,  and  dead. 
Though  every  comfort  be  withdrawn, 

On  this  my  steadfast  soul  relies,  — 
Father  !  Thy  mercy  never  dies. 

JOHANN   A.    ROTHE. 


YOUR  external  circumstances  may  change, 
toil  may  take  the  place  of  rest,  sickness 
of  health,  trials  may  thicken  within  and 
without.  Externally,  you  are  the  prey  of  such 
circumstances  j  but  if  your  heart  is  stayed  on 
God,  no  changes  or  chances  can  touch  it,  and 
all  that  may  befall  you  will  but  draw  you  closer 
to  Him.  Whatever  the  present  moment  may 
bring,  your  knowledge  that  it  is  His  will,  and 
that  your  future  heavenly  life  will  be  influenced 
by  it,  will  make  all  not  only  tolerable,  but  wel- 
come to  you,  while  no  vicissitudes  can  affect  you 
greatly,  knowing  that  He  who  holds  you  in 
His  powerful  hand  cannot  change,  but  abideth 
forever. 

Jean  Nicolas  Grov. 


I 68  June  i6 


Now  unto  Him  that  is  able  to  do  exceeding  abun- 
dantly above  all  that  we  ask  or  think^  according  to 
the  power  that  worketh  in  us^  unto  Him  be  glory  in 
the  church  by  Christ  Jesus  throughout  all  ages^ 
world  without  end.     Amen.  —  Eph.  iii.  20,  21. 


\  We  would  not  meagre  gifts  down-call 
I  When  Thou  dost  yearn  to  yield  us  all  ; 
'    But  for  this  life,  this  little  hour, 
Ask  all  Thy  love  and  care  and  power. 

J.  Ingelow. 


GOD  so  loveth  us  that  He  would  make  all 
things  channels  to  us  and  messengers  of 
His  love.  Do  for  His  sake  deeds  of  love, 
and  He  will  give  thee  His  love.  Still  thyself, 
thy  own  cares,  thy  own  thoughts  for  Him,  and 
He  will  speak  to  thy  heart.  Ask  for  Himself, 
and  He  will  give  thee  Himself.  Truly,  a  secret 
hidden  thing  is  the  love  of  God,  known  only  to 
them  who  seek  it,  and  to  them  also  secret,  for 
what  man  can  have  of  it  here  is  how  slight  a 
foretaste  of  that  endless  ocean  of  His  love  ! 

E.    B.    PUOEY. 


June  17  169 

Consider  the  lilies  of  the  fields  how  they  grow. — 
Matt.  vi.  28. 

They  do  not  toil: 
Content  with  their  allotted  task 
They  do  but  grow ;  they  do  not  ask 
A  richer  lot,  a  higher  sphere, 
But  in  their  loveliness  appear, 
And  grow,  and  smile,  and  do  their  best. 
And  unto  God  they  leave  the  rest. 

Marianne  Farningham. 

INTERPOSE  no  barrier  to  His  mighty  life- 
giving  power,  working  in  you  all  the  good 
pleasure  of  His  will.  Yield  yourself  up 
utterly  to  His  sweet  control.  Put  your  grow- 
ing into  His  hands  as  completely  as  you  have 
put  all  your  other  affairs.  Suffer  Him  to  man- 
age it  as  He  will.  Do  not  concern  yourself 
about  it,  nor  even  think  of  it.  Trust  Him  ab- 
solutely and  always.  Accept  each  moment's 
dispensation  as  it  comes  to  you  from  His  dear 
hands,  as  being  the  needed  sunshine  or  dew  for 
that  moment's  growth.  Say  a  continual  "  yes  " 
to  your  Father's  will.  H.   W.   Smith. 

Thine  own  self-will  and  anxiety,  thy  hurry 
and  labor,  disturb  thy  peace,  and  prevent  Me 
from  working  in  thee.  Look  at  the  little  flow- 
ers, in  the  serene  summer  days ;  they  quietly 
open  their  petals,  and  the  sun  shines  into  them 
with  his  gentle  influences.  So  will  I  do  for 
thee,  if  thou  wilt  yield  thyself  to  Me. 

G.    TeR5TE£GEN, 


170  June  18 

Wherefore^  if  God  so  clothe  the  grass  of  the  fields 
which  to-day  is^  and  to-morrow  is  cast  into  the  oven, 
shall  He  not  much  more  clothe  you,  O  ye  of  little 
faith  ?  —  Matt.  vi.  30. 

/  trust  in  the  mercy  of  God  for  ever  and  ever.  — 
Ps.  Hi.  8. 

Calmly  we  look  behind  liS,  on  joys  and  sorrows  past, 
We  know  that  all  is  mercy  now,  and  shall  be  well  at 

last; 
Calmly  we  look  before  us,  —  we  fear  no  future  ill. 
Enough  for  safety  and  for  peace,  if  Thou  art  with  us 

still. 

Jane  Borthwick.. 

NEITHER  go  back  in  fear  and  misgiving 
to  the  past,  nor  in  anxiety  and  forecast- 
ing to  the  future ;    but  lie  quiet  under 
His  hand,  having  no  will  but  His. 

H.   E.  Manning. 

I  SAW  a  delicate  flower  had  grown  up  two 
feet  high,  between  the  horses'  path  and  the 
wheel-track.  An  inch  more  to  right  or  left  had 
sealed  its  fate,  or  an  inch  higher ;  and  yet  it 
lived  to  flourish  as  much  as  if  it  had  a  thousand 
acres  of  untrodden  space  around  it,  and  never 
knew  the  danger  it  incurred.  It  did  not  bor- 
row trouble,  nor  invite  an  evil  fate  by  appre- 
hendir»  it, 

Henry  D.  Thoreau. 


June  19  171 

The  Lord  shall  preserve  thee  from  all  evil :  He 
shall  preserve  thy  soul.  —  Ps.  cxxi.  7. 

Under  Thy  wings,  my  God,  I  rest, 

Under  Thy  shadow  safely  lie  ; 
By  Thy  own  strength  in  peace  possessed, 

While  dreaded  evils  pass  me  by. 

A.  L.  Waring. 

A  HE  ART  rejoicing  in  God  delights  in  all 
His  will,  and  is  surely  provided  with  the 
most  firm  joy  in  all  estates ;  for  if  noth- 
ing can  come  to  pass  beside  or  against  His  will, 
then  cannot  that  soul  be  vexed  which  delights 
in  Him  and  hath  no  will  but  His,  but  follows 
Him  in  all  times,  in  all  estates;  not  only  when 
He  shines  bright  on  them,  but  when  they  are 
clouded.  That  flower  which  follows  the  sun 
doth  so  even  in  dark  and  cloudy  days:  when  it 
doth  not  shine  forth,  yet  it  follows  the  hidden 
course  and  motion  of  it.  So  the  soul  that 
moves  after  God  keeps  that  course  when  He 
hides  His  face ;  is  content,  yea,  even  glad  at 
His  will  in  all  estates  or  conditions  or  events. 

R.  Leighton. 

Let  God  do  with  me  what  He  will,  anything 
He  will;  whatever  it  be,  it  will  be  either  heaven 
itself  or  spme  beginning  of  it. 

Wm.  Mountfcxd. 


172  June  20 

Be  merciful  unto  me^  O   God^  be  merciful  unto 
me;   for  my   soul  trusteth   in    Thee:  yea,  in    the 
shadaiv  of  Thy  wings  will  I  make  my  refuge,  until  •' 
these  calamities  be  overpast.  —  Ps.  Ivii.  i. 


My  God  !  in  whom  are  all  the  springes 
Of  boundless  love  and  grace  unknown, 

Hide  me  beneath  Thy  spreading  wings, 
Till  the  dark  cloud  is  overblown. 

I.  Watts. 


IN  time  of  trouble  go  not  out  of  yourself  to 
seek   for  aid  ;   forClhp  whole  benefit  of  trial 
consists  in  silence,  patience,  rest,  and   resig- 
nationT>   In    this    condition   divine    strength    is 
found  for  the  hard  warfare,  because  God  Him- 
self fights  for  the  soul. 

M.  DE  Mounds. 

In  vain  will  you  let  your  mind  run  out  after 
help  in  times  of  trouble  ;  it  is  like  putting  to  sea 
in  a  storm.  Sit  still,  zn6  feel  after  your  princi- 
ples ;  and,  if  you  find  none  that  furnish  you  with 
somewhat  of  a  stay  and  prop,  and  which  point 
you  to  quietness  and  silent  submission,  depend 
upon  it  you  have  never  yet  learned  Truth  from 
the  Spirit  of  Truth,  whatever  notions  thereof 
you  may  have  picked  up  from  this  and  the 
other  description  of  it. 

M.  A,  Kelty, 


June  21  173 


Thou  calledst  in  trouble^  and  I  delivered  thee.  — 
Ps.  Ixxxi.  7. 


Be  strongs  and  of  good  courage ;  dread  not^  nor 
be  dismayed.  —  i  Chron.  xxii.  13. 


Thou  canst  calm  the  troubled  mind. 

Thou  its  dread  canst  still  ; 
Teach  me  to  be  all  resigned 

To  my  Father's  will. 

Heinrich  Puchta. 


THOUGH  this  patient,  meek  resignation  is 
to  be  exercised  with  regard  to  all  outward 
things  and  occurrences  of  life,  yet  it 
chiefly  respects  our  own  inward  state,  the 
troubles,  perplexities,  weaknesses,  and  disorders 
of  our  own  souls.  And  to  stand  turned  to  a 
patient,  meek,  humble  resignation  to  God,  when 
your  own  impatience,  wrath,  pride,  and  irresig- 
nation  attack  yourself,  is  a  higher  and  more 
beneficial  performance  of  this  duty,  than  when 
you  stand  turned  to  meekness  and  patience,  when 
attacked  by  the  pride,  or  wrath,  or  disorderly 
passions  of  other  people. 

Wm.   Law, 


174  June  22 

There  hath  no  temptation  taken  you^  but  such  as 
is  common  to  man  :  but  God  is  faithful^  who  will 
not  suffer  you  to  be  tempted  above  that  ye  are  able  ; 
but  will  with  the  temptation  also  make  a  way  to 
escape,  that  ye  may  be  able  to  bear  it.  —  i  Cor.  x. 
i3>  H- 


Not  so,  not  so,  no  load  of  woe 

Need  bring  despairing  frown  ; 
For  while  we  bear  it,  we  can  bear. 

Past  that,  we  lay  it  down. 

Sarah  Williams. 


EVERYTHING  which  happens,  either  hap- 
pens in  such  wise  that  thou  art  formed 
by  nature  to  bear  it,  or  that  thou  art  not 
formed  by  nature  to  bear  it.  If  then,  it  happens 
to  thee  in  such  way  that  thou  art  formed  by 
nature  to  bear  it,  do  not  complain,  but  bear  it  as 
thou  art  formed  by  nature  to  bear  it.  But,  if  it 
happens  in  such  wise  that  thou  art  not  able  to 
bear  it,  do  not  complain  ;  for  it  will  perish  after 
it  has  consumed  thee.  Remember,  however, 
that  thou  art  formed  by  nature  to  bear  every- 
thing, with  respect  to  which  it  depends  on  thy 
own  opinion  to  make  it  endurable  and  tolerable, 
by  thinking  that  it  is  either  thy  interest  or  thy 
duty  to  do  this. 

Marcus  ANTOMNVSt 


^ 


June  23  175 

Why  art  thou  cast  doivn^  O  my  soul  F  and  why 
art  thou  disquieted  within  me  F  hope  thou  in  God ; 
for  I  shall  yet  praise  Him,  who  is  the  health  of  my 
countenance,  and  my  God.  —  Ps.  xlii.  1 1. 

Ah  !  why  by  passing  clouds  oppressed, 
Should  vexing  thoughts  distract  thy  breast  ? 
Turn  thou  to  Him  in  every  pain, 
,Whom  never  suppliant  sought  in  vain  ; 
Thy  strength  in  joy's  ecstatic  day. 
Thy  hope,  when  joy  has  passed  away. 

H.   F.  Lyte. 

BEWARE  of  letting  your  care  degenerate 
into  anxiety  and  unrest ;  tossed  as  you  are 
amid  the  winds  and  waves  of  sundry 
troubles,  keep  your  eyes  fixed  on  the  Lord,  and 
say,  "  Oh,  my  God,  I  look  to  Thee  alone  ;  be 
Thou  my  guide,  my  pilot ;  "  and  then  be  com- 
forted. When  the  shore  is  gained,  who  will 
heed  the  toil  and  the  storm  ?  And  we  shall 
steer  safely  through  every  storm,  so  long  as  our 
heart  is  right,  our  intention  fervent,  our  courage 
steadfast,  and  our  trust  fixed  on  God.  If  at 
times  we  are  somewhat  stunned  by  the  tempest, 
never  fear;  let  us  take  breath,  and  go  on  afresh. 
Do  not  be  disconcerted  by  the  fits  of  vexation 
and  uneasiness  which  are  sometimes  produced 
by  the  multiplicity  of  your  domestic  worries. 
•  No  indeed,  dearest  child,  all  these  are  but  oppor- 
tunities of  strengthening  yourself  in  the  loving, 
forbearing  graces  which  our  dear  Lord  sets  be- 
fore us.  -  St.  Francis  de  Sales. 


176  June  24 

Even  so^  Father ;  for  so  it  seemed  good  in  Thy 
sight.  —  Matt.  xi.  26. 

Let  nothing  make  thee  sad  or  fretful, 
Or  too  regretful  ; 

Be  still  ; 
What  God  hath  ordered  must  be  right, 
Then  find  in  it  thine  own  delight, 

My  will.  P.    Flemming. 

IF  we  listen  to  our  self-love,  we  shall  estimate 
our  lot  less  by  what  it  is,  than  by  what  it  is 
not ;  shall  dwell  on  its  hindrances,  and  be 
blind  to  its  possibilities ;  and,  comparing  it  only 
with  imaginary  lives,  shall  indulge  in  flattering 
dreams  of  what  we  should   do,  if  we  had   but 
power ;  and  give,  if  we  had  but  wealth  ;  and  be, 
if  we  had  no  temptations.     We  shall  be  forever 
querulously  pleading  our  difficulties  and   priva- 
tions as  excuses  for  our  unloving  temper  and  un- 
fruitful   life ;     and    fancying    ourselves    injured 
beings,  virtually  frowning  at  the  dear  Providence 
that   loves   us,  and    chafing  with  a  self-torture 
which  invites  no  pity.     If  we    yield  ourselves^ 
unto  God,  and  sincerely  accept  our  lot  as  as-\ 
signed  by  Him,  we  shall  count  up  its  contents,  ' 
and  disregard  its  omissions;  and  be  it  as   feeble', 
as  a  cripple's,  and  as  narrow  as  a  child's,  shall  < 
find  in  it  resources  of  good  surpassing  our  best  J 
economy,    and    sacred     claims    that    may    keep  / 
awake  our  highest  will.  ^.  Martineau.  / 


June  25  177 

My  times  are  in  Thy  hand.  —  Ps.  xxxi.  15. 
Every  purpose  of  the  Lord  shall  be  performed.  — 
Jer.  li.  29. 


I  AM  so  glad  !     It  is  such  rest  to  know 

That  Thou  hast  ordered  and  appointed  all, 

And  wilt  yet  order  and  appoint  my  lot. 

For  though  so  much  I  cannot  understand, 

And  would  not  choose,  has  been,  and  yet  may  be. 

Thou  choosest,  Thou  performest,  Thou,  my  Lord. 

This  is  enough  for  me. 

F.  R.   Havergal. 


WE  must  n't  be  in  a  hurry  to  fix  and 
choose  our  own  lot ;  we  must  wait  to 
be  guided.  We  are  led  on,  like  the 
little  children,  by  a  way  that  we  know  not.  It 
is  a  vain  thought  to  flee  from  the  work  that 
God  appoints  us,  for  the  sake  of  finding  a 
greater  blessing  to  our  own  souls ;  as  if  we  could 
choose  for  ourselves  where  we  shall  find  the 
fulness  of  the  Divine  Presence,  instead  of  seek- 
ing it  where  alone  it  is  to  be  found,  in  loving 
obedience." 

George  Eliot. 

Everywhere  and  at  all  times  it  is  in  thy 
power  piously  to  acquiesce  in  thy  present  con- 
dition, and  to  behave  justly  to  those  who  are 
about  thee. 

Marcus  Antoninus. 


178  June  26 

And  when  ye  stand  prayings  forgive^  if  ye  have 
ought  against  any :  that  your  Father  also  which  is 
in  heaven  may  forgive  you  your  trespasses.  But  if 
ye  do  not  forgive^  neither  will  your  Father  which  is 
in  heaven  forgive  your  trespasses.  —  Mark  xi. 
25,  26. 

'T  IS  not  enough  to  weep  my  sins, 

'Tis  but  one  step  to  heaven  :  — 

When  I  am  kind  to  others,  —  then 

I  know  myself  forgiven.       F.   W.   Faber. 

EVERY  relation  to  mankind,  of  hate  or 
scorn  or  neglect,  is  full  of  vexation  and 
torment.  There  is  nothing  to  do  with 
men  but  to  love  them ;  to  contemplate  their 
virtues  with  admiration,  their  faults  with  pity 
and  forbearance,  and  their  injuries  with  forgive- 
ness. Task  all  the  ingenuity  of  your  mind  to 
devise  some  other  thing,  but  you  never  can  find 
it.  To  hate  your  adversary  will  not  help  you ; 
to  kill  him  will  not  help  you ;  nothing  within 
the  compass  of  the  universe  can  help  you,  but 
to  love  him.  But  let  that  love  flow  out  upon 
all  around  you,  and  what  could  harm  you  ? 
How  many  a  knot  of  mystery  and  misunder- 
standing would  be  untied  by  one  word  spoken  in 
simple  and  confiding  truth  of  heart !  How 
many  a  solitary  place  would  be  made  glad  if 
love  were  there  ;  and  how  many  a  dark  dwell- 
'ng  would  be  filled  with  light ! 

■  Orville  Dewey. 


] 


June  27  179 

T7)e  kingdom  of  God  is  within  you.  —  Luke 
xvii.  21. 

Oh,  take  this  heart  that  I  would  give 

Forever  to  be  all  Thine  own  ; 
I  to  myself  no  more  would  live, — 

Come,  Lord,  be  Thou  my  King  alone. 

G.  Tersteegen. 

HEREIN  is  the  work  assigned  to  the  in- 
dividual soul,  to  have  life  in  itself,  to 
make  our  sphere,  whatever  it  is,  suffi- 
cient for  a  reign  of  God  within  ourselves,  for  a 
true  and  full  reign  of  our  Father's  abounding 
spirit,  —  thankful,  unutterably  thankful,  if  with 
the  place  and  the  companionship  assigned  to  us 
we  are  permitted  to  build  an  earthly  tabernacle 
of  grace  and  goodness  and  holy  love,  a  home 
like  a  temple ;  but,  should  this  be  denied  us, 
resolved  for  ou»own  souls  that  God  shall  reign 
there,  for  ourselves  at  least  that  we  will  not,  by 
sin  or  disobedience  or  impious  distrust,  break 
with  our  own  wills  our  filial  connection  with 
our  Father,  —  that  whether  joyful  or  sorrowing,( 
struggling  with  the  perplexity  and  foulness  of 
circumstance,  or  in  an  atmosphere  of  peace, 
whether  in  dear  fellowship  or  alone,  our  desire' 
and  prayer  shall  be  that  God  may  have  in  us  a 
realm  where  His  will  is  law,  and  where  obe- 
dience and  submission  spring,  not  from  calcu- 
lating prudence  or  ungodly  fear,  but  from 
communion  of  spirit,  ever  humble  aspiration, 
and  ever  loving  trust.  J.  H.  Thom. 


i8o  June  28 

The  Lord  preserveth  the  simple.  —  Ps.  cxvi.  6. 


'  Thy  home  is  with  the  humble,  Lord  ! 
The  simple  are  Thy  rest  ; 
Thy  lodging  is  in  childlike  hearts  j 
Thou  makest  there  Thy  nest. 

F.  W.  Fabeh 


THIS  deliverance  of  the  soul  from  all  use- 
less and  selfish  and  unquiet  cares,  brings 
to  it  an  unspeakable  peace  and  freedom  > 
this  is  true  simplicity.  This  state  of  entirr 
resignation  and  perpetual  acquiescence  pro' 
duces  true  liberty  ;  and  this  liberty  brings  per- 
fect simplicity.  The  soul  which  knows  nc 
self-seeking,  no  interested  ends,  is  thoroughl) 
candid  ;  it  goes  straight  forward  without  hin- 
drance ;  its  path  opens  daily  more  and  more_to^ 
*'  perfect  day,"  in  proportion  as  its  self-renunci- 
ation and  its  self-forgetfulness  increase ;  and  its 
peace,  amid  whatever  troubles  beset  it,  will  be 
as  boundless  as  the  depths  of  the  sea. 

Francois  de  la  Mothe  Fenelon. 


June  29  181 

Let  not  him  that  girdeth  on  his  harness  boast 
himself  as  he  that  putteth  it  off.  —  i  Kings  xx.  i  i. 

Put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God.  —  Eph.  vi.  11. 


Was  I  not  girded  for  the  battle-field  ?  . 
Bore  I  not  helm  of  pride  and  glittering  sword  ? 
Behold  the  fragments  of  my  broken  shield, 
'  And  lend  to  me  Thy  heavenly  armor,  Lord  ! 

Anon. 


OH,  be  at  least  able  to  say  in  that  day, — 
Lord,  I  am  no  hero.  I  have  been  care- 
less, cowardly,  sometimes  all  but  mutin- 
ous. Punishment  I  have  deserved,  I  deny  it 
not.  But  a  traitor  I  have  never  been ;  a  de- 
serter I  have  never  been.  1  have  tried  to  fight 
on  Thy  side  in  Thy  battle  against  evil.  I  have 
tried  to  do  the  duty  which  lay  nearest  me ;  and 
to  leave  whatever  Thou  didst  commit  to  my 
charge  a  little  better  than  I  found  it.  I  have 
not  been  good,  but  I  have  at  least  tried  to  be 
good.  Take  the  will  for  the  deed,  good  Lord. 
Strike  not  my  unworthy  name  off  the  roll-call 
of  the  noble  and  victorious  army,  which  is  the 
blessed  company  of  all  faithful  people  ;  and  let 
me,  too,  be  found  written  in  the  Book  of  Life  ; 
even  though  I  stand  the  lowest  and  last  upon 
its  list.     Amen. 

C.    KiNGSLEY. 


1 82  June  30 


And  the  work  of  righteousness  shall  be  peace ; 
and  the  effect  of  righteousness^  quietness  and  assur- 
ance forever.  —  IsA.  xxxii.  17. 


The  heart  that  ministers  for  Thee 

In  Thy  own  work  will  rest  j 
And  the  subject  spirit  of  a  child 

Can  serve  Thy  children  best. 

A.  L.  Waring. 


IT  matters  not  where  or  what  we  are,  so  we 
be  His  servants.  They  are  happy  who 
have  a  wide  field  and  great  strength  to  fulfil 
His  missions  of  compassion  ;  and  they,  too,  are 
blessed  who,  in  sheltered  homes  and  narrow 
ways  of  duty,  wait  upon  Him  in  lowly  services 
of  love.  Wise  or  simple,  gifted  or  slender  in 
knowledge,  in  the  world's  gaze  or  in  hidden 
paths,  high  or  low,  encompassed  by  affections 
and  joys  of  home,  or  lonely  and  content  in  God 
alone,  what  matters,  so  that  they  bear  the  seal 
of  the  living  God  .?  Blessed  company,  unknown 
to  each  other,  unknowing  even  themselves  I 

H.  E.  Manning. 


July  I  183 

In  the  mornings  then  ye  shall  see  the  glory  of  the 
Lord.  —  Ex.  xvi.  7. 

Serving  the   Lord;  rejoicing  in  hope.  —  Rom. 
xii.  II,  12. 


Every  day  is  a  fresh  beginning, 

Every  mom  is  the  world  made  new. 

You  who  are  weary  of  sorrow  'and  sinning. 

Here  is  a  beautiful  hope  for  you  j 

A  hope  for  me  and  a  hope  for  you. 

Susan  Coolidge. 


BE  patient  with  every  one,  but  above  all 
with  yourself.  I  mean,  do  not  be  dis- 
turbed because  of  your  imperfections,  and 
always  rise  up  bravely  from  a  fall.  I  am  glad 
that  you  make  a  daily  new  beginning ;  there  is 
no  better  means  of  progress  in  the  spiritual  life 
than  to  be  continually  beginning  afresh,  and 
never  to  think  that  we  have  done  enough. 

St.  Francis  de  Sales. 


Because  perseverance  is  so  difficult,  even 
when  supported  by  the  grace  of  God,  thence  is 
the  value  of  new  beginnings.  For  new  begin- 
nings are  the  life  of  perseverance. 

E.    B.    PUSEY. 


184  July  2 

Herein  do  I  exercise  myself^  to  have  always  a 
conscience  void  of  offence  toward  God,  and  toward 
men.  —  Acts  xxiv.   16. 

/  will  instruct  thee  and  teach  thee  in  the  way 
which  thou  shalt  go :  I  will  guide  thee  with  mine 
eye.  —  Ps.  xxxii.  8. 

Oh,  keep  thy  conscience  sensitive  ; 

No  inward  token  miss  ; 
And  go  where  grace  entices  thee  ;  — 

Perfection  lies  in  this. 

F.  W.  Faber. 


W 


E  need  only  obey.  There  is  guidance 
for  each  of  us,  and  \by  lowly  listening 
we  shall  hear  the  right  word,  j 

"RrTV.   Emerson. 


The  heights  of  Christian  perfection  can  only 
be  reached  by  faithfully  each  moment  following 
the  Guide  who  is  to  lead  you  there,  and  He  re- 
veals your  way  to  you  one  step  at  a  time,  in  the 
little  things  of  your  daily  lives,  asking  only  on 
your  part  that  you  yield  yourselves  up  to  His 
guidance.  If  then,  in  anything  you  feel  doubt- 
ful or  troubled,  be  sure  that  it  is  the  voice  of 
your  Lord,  and  surrender  it  at  once  to  His  bid- 
ding, rejoicing  with  a  great  joy  that  He  has  be- 
gun thus  to  lead  and  guide  you. 

H.  W.  Smith. 


July  3  185 

He  shall  redeem  Israel  from  all  his  iniquities.  -^ 
Ps.  cxxx.  8. 


Be  it  according  to  Thy  word  ; 

Redeem  me  from  all  sin ; 
My  heart  would  now  receive  Thee,  Lord, 

Come  in,  my  Lord,  come  in  ! 

C.  Wesley. 


WHEN  you  wake,  or  as  soon  as  you  are 
dressed,  offer  up  your  whole  self  to  God, 
soul  and  body,  thoughts  and  purposes 
and  desires,  to  be  for  that  day  what  He  wills. 
Think  of  the  occasions  of  the  sin  likely  to  befall 
you,  and  go,  as  a  child,  to  your  Father  which  is 
in  heaven,  and  tell  Him  in  childlike,  simple 
words,  your  trials  —  in  some  such  simple  words 
as  these  —  "Thou  knowest,  good  Lord,  that  I 
am  tempted  to  —  ^then  name  the  temptations  to  it, 
and  the  ways  in  which  you  sin,  as  well  as  you  know 
them^.  But,  good  Lord,  for  love  of  Thee,  I 
would  this  day  keep  wholly  from  all  ^naming  the 
sinl  and  be  very  ^naming  the  opposite  grace'\ .  I 
will  not,  by  Thy  grace,  do  one  [N.]  act,  or 
speak  one  [N.]  word,  or  give  one  [N.]  look, 
or  harbor  one  [N.]  thought  in  my  soul.  If 
Thou  allow  any  of  these  temptations  to  come 
upon  me  this  day,  I  desire  to  think,  speak,  and 
do  only  what  Thou  wiliest.  Lord,  without 
Thee  I  can  do  nothing ;  with  Thee  I  can  do 
illl."  E.    B.    PUSEY. 


1 86  July  4 

Look  at  the  generations  of  old^  and  see ;  did  ever 
any  trust  in  the  Lord^  and  was  confounded?  or 
did  any  abide  in  His  fear^  and  was  forsaken  ?  or 
whom  did  He  ever  despise^  that  called  upon  Him  ? 
—  ECCLESIASTICUS  ii.   10. 

Remember^  O  Lord^  Thy  tender  mercies,  and 
Thy  loving-kindnesses  ;  for  they  have  been  ever  of 
old.  — Ps.  XXV.  6. 

My  Father  !  sec 
I  trust  the  faithfulness  displayed  of  old, 
I  trust  the  love  that  never  can  grow  cold  — 

I  trust  in  Thee. 

Christian  Intelligencer. 

BE  not  so  much  discouraged  in  the  sight  of 
what  is  yet  to  be  done,  as  comforted  in 
His  good- will  towards  thee.  'Tis  true, 
He  hath  chastened  thee  with  rods  and  sore 
afflictions;  but  did  He  ever  take  away  His 
loving-kindness  from  thee  ?  or  did  His  faithful- 
ness ever  fail  in  the  sorest,  blackest,  thickest, 
darkest  night  that  ever  befell  thee  ? 

I.  Penington. 

We  call  Him  the  "  God  of  our  fathers ;  "  and 
we  feel  that  there  is  some  stability  at  centre, 
while  we  can  tell  our  cares  to  One  listening  at 
our  right  hand,  by  whom  theirs  are  remembered 
and  removed. 

J.  Martineau. 


July  5  187 

^-  ■ -  —  ■  -■ —  ■  '  '■  ' 

He  stayeth  His  rough  wind  in  the  day  of  the 
east  wind.  —  IsA.  xxviJ.  8. 


A  bruised  reed  shall  He  not  break.  —  Isa.  xlii.  3. 


All  my  life  I  still  have  found. 

And  I  will  forget  it  never  ; 
[Every  sorrow  hath  its  bound, 
\   And  no  cross  endures  forever. 

All  things  else  have  but  their  day, 

God's  love  only  lasts  for  aye. 

P.  Gerhardt. 


WE  never  have  more  than  we  can  bear. 
The  present  hour  we  are  always  able  to 
endure.  As  our  day,  so  is  our  strength. 
If  the  trials  of  many  years  were  gathered  into 
one,  they  would  overwhelm  us ;  therefore,  in 
pity  to  our  little  strength,  He  sends  first  one, 
then  another,  then  removes  both,  and  lays  on  a 
third,  heavier,  perhaps,  than  either;  but  all  is  so 
wisely  measured  to  our  strength  that  the  bruised 
reed  is  never  broken.  We  do  not  enough  look 
at  our  trials  in  this  continuous  and  successive 
view.  Each  one  is  sent  to  teach  us  something, 
and  altogether  they  have  a  lesson  which  is  be- 
yond the  power  of  any  to  teach  alone. 

H.  E.  Manning. 


1 88  July  6 

/  the  Lord  have  called  thee  in  righteousness^  and  - 
will  hold  thine  hand,  and  will  keep  thee.  —  Is  A. 
xlii.  6. 

O  keep  my  soul,  and  deliver  me :  for  I  put  my 
trust  in  Thee.  —  Ps.  xxv.  20. 

I  DO  not  ask  my  cross  to  understand. 

My  way  to  see  ; 
Better  in  darkness  just  to  feel  Thy  hand, 

And  follow  Thee. 

Adelaide  A.   Procter. 

OLORD,  if  only  my  will  may  remain 
right  and  firm  towards  Thee,  do  with  me 
whatsoever  it  shall  please  Thee.  For  it 
cannot  be  anything  but  good,  whatsoever  Thou 
shalt  do  with  me.  If  it  be  Thy  will  I  should 
be  in  darkness,  be  Thou  blessed ;  and,  if  it  be 
Thy  will  I  should  be  in  light,  be  Thou  again 
blessed.  If  Thou  vouchsafe  to  comfort  me,  be 
Thou  blessed ;  and,  if  Thou  wilt  have  me 
afflicted,  be  Thou  equally  blessed.  O  Lord  ! 
for  Thy  sake  I  will  cheerfully  suffer  whatever 
shall  come  on  me  with  Thy  permission. 

Thomas  a  Kempis. 

My  soul  could  not  incline  itself  on  the  one 
side  or  the  other,  since  another  will  had  taken 
the  place  of  its  own  ;  but  only  nourished  itself 
with  the  daily  providences  of  God. 

Madame  Guyon. 


July  7  189 

The  Lord  is  my  light  and  my  salvation;  whom^ 
shall  I  fear  ?  The  Lord  is  the  strength  of  my  life  ;* 
of  whom  shall  I  be  afraid?  —  Ps.  xxvii.  I. 

Thou  hidden  Source  of  calm  repose, 

Thou  all-sufficient  Love  divine. 
My  Help  and  Refuge  from  my  foes, 

Secure  I  am  while  Thou  art  mine  : 
And  lo  !  from  sin,  and  grief,  and  shame, 
I  hide  me.  Father,  in  Thy  name. 

C.  Wesley. 

WHATEVER  troubles  come  on  you,  of 
mind,  body,  or  estate,  from  within  or. 
from    without,    from    chance    or  from 
intent,   from   friends    or    foes  —  whatever  your^ 
trouble  be,  though  you  be  lonely,  O  children  of 
a  heavenly  Father,  be  not  afraid  ! 

J.  H.  Newman. 

Whatsoever  befalleth  thee,  receive  it  not 
from  the  hand  of  any  creature,  but  from  Him 
alone,  and  render  back  all  to  Him,  seeking  in 
all  things  His  pleasure  and  honor,  the  purifying 
and  subduing  of  thyself.  What  can  harm  thee, 
when  all  must  first  touch  God,  within  whom 
thou  hast  enclosed  thyself?  R.   Leighton. 

How  God  rejoices  over  a  soul,  which,  sur- 
rounded on  all  sides  by  suffering  and  misery, 
does  that  upon  earth  which  the  angels  do  in 
heaven ;  namely,  loves,  adores,  and  praises  God  ! 

G.  Tersteegen. 


190  July  8 


V^ 


ye  kind  one  to  another,  —  Eph.  iv.  32. 


She  doeth  little  kindnesses 

Which  most  leave  undone  or  despise  ; 
For  nought  which  sets  one  heart  at  case. 
And  giveth  happiness  or  peace. 

Is  low-esteemed  in  her  eyes. 

J.  R.  Lowell. 


WHAT  was  the  secret  of  such  a  one's 
power  ?  What  had  she  done  ?  Abso- 
lutely nothing  ;  but  radiant  smiles,  beam- 
ing good-humor,  the  tact  of  divining  what  every 
one  felt  and  every  one  wanted,  told  that  she  had 
got  out  of  self  and  learned  to  think  of  others ; 
so  that  at  one  time  it  showed  itself  in  deprecat- 
ing the  quarrel,  which  lowering  brows  and 
raised  tones  already  showed  to  be  impending,  by 
sweet  words ;  at  another,  by  smoothing  an 
invalid's  pillow ;  at  another,  by  soothing  a 
sobbing  child ;  at  another,  by  humoring  and 
softening  a  father  who  had  returned  weary  and 
ill-tempered  from  the  irritating  cares  of  business. 
None  but  she  saw  those  things.  None  but  a 
loving  heart  could  see  them.  -That  was  the 
secret  of  her  heavenly  power.  (  The  one  who 
will  be  found  in  trial  capable  ofgreat  acts  of 
love,  is  ever  the  one  who  is  always  doing  con- 
siderate small  ones.  \ 

F.   W.  Robertson. 


July  9  191 

Love  is  of  God;    and  every  one  that   loveth  is 
born  of  God^  and  knoweth  God.  —  i  John  iv.  7. 

Forbearing  one  another^  and  forgiving  one  another^  C 
if  any  man  have  a  quarrel  (or  '^  complaint ")  \ 
against  any :  even  as  Christ  forgave  youy  so  also  \ 
do  ye Col.  iii.  13. 

Oh,  might  we  all  our  lineage  prove, 
Give  and  forgive,  do  good  and  love  j 
By  soft  endearments,  in  kind  strife, 
Lightening  the  load  of  daily  life. 

J.  Keble. 

WE  may,  if  we  choose,  make  the  worst  of 
one  another.  Every  one  has  his  weak 
points  ;  every  one  has  his  faults  ;  we 
may  make  the  worst  of  these  ;  we  may  fix  our 
attention  constantly  upon  these.  But  we  may 
also  (make  the  best  of  one  another..  We  may 
forgive,  even  as  we  hope  to  be  forgiven.  We 
may  put  ourselves  in  the  place  of  others,  and 
ask  what  we  should  wish  to  be  done  to  us,  and 
thought  of  us,  were  we  in  their  place.  (  By  lov- 
ing whatever  is  lovable  in  those  around  as,  love 
will  flow  back  from  them  to  us,  and  life  will 
become  a  pleasure  instead  of  a  pain  ;  and  earth 
will  become  like  heaven ;  and  ^^e~5nall  become 
not  unworthy  followers  of  Him  whose  name  is 
Love. 

A.  p.  Stanley. 


192  July  10 

The  Lord  will  perfect  that  which  concerneth  me  : 
Thy  mercy,  O  Lord,  endureth  forever :  forsake  not 
the  works  of  Thine  own  hands,  —  Ps.  cxxxviii.  8. 


As  God  leads  me,  will  I  go,  — 

Nor  choose  my  way  ; 
Let  Him  choose  the  joy  or  woe 

Of  every  day  : 
They  cannot  hurt  my  soul, 
Because  in  His  control  : 
I  leave  to  Him  the  whole,  — 

His  children  may. 

L.    Gedicke. 


WHY  is  it  that  we  are  so  busy  with  the 
future  ?  It  is  not  our  province  ;  and  is 
there  not  a  criminal  interference  with 
Him  to -whom  it  belongs,  in  our  feverish,  anxious 
attempts  to  dispose  of  it,  and  in  filling  it  up  with 
shadows  of  good  and  evil  shaped  by  our  own 
wild  imaginations  ?  To  do  God's  will  as  fast 
as  it  is  made  known  to  us,  to  inquire  hourly  — 
I  had  almost  said  each  moment  —  what  He  re- 
quires of  us,  and  to  leave  ourselves,  our  friends, 
and  every  interest  at  His  control,  with  a  cheer- 
ful trust  that  the  path  which  He  marks  out 
leads  to  our  perfection  and  to  Himself,  —  this 
is  at  once  our  duty  and  happiness  ;  and  why 
will  we  not  walk  in  the  plain,  simple  way  ? 

William  E.  Channing. 


July  II  193 

IVhen  He  glveth  quietness^  who  then  can  make 
trouble?  —  Job  xxxiv.  29. 

None  of  these  things  move  me.  —  Acts  xx.  24. 

I  'VE  many  a  cross  to  take  up  now, 

And  many  left  behind  ; 
But  present  troubles  movp  me  not, 

Nor  shake  my  quiet  mind. 
And  what  may  be  to-morrow's  cross 

I  never  seek  to  find  j 
My  Father  says,  "Leave  that  to  me, 

And  keep  a  quiet  mind  "  Anon. 

LET  us  then  think  only  of  the  present,  and 
not  even  permit  our  minds  to  wander  with 
curiosity  into  the  future.  This  future  is 
not  yet  ours ;  perhaps  it  never  will  be.  It  is 
exposing  ourselves  to  temptation  to  wish  to 
anticipate  God,  and  to  prepare  ourselves  for 
things  which  He  may  not  destine  for  us.  If 
such  things  should  come  to  pass.  He  will  give 

jjs  light  and  strength  according  to  the  need. 
Why  should  we  desire  to  meet  difficulties  pre- 
maturely, when  we  have  neither  strength  nor 
light  as  yet  provided  for  them  ?  Let  us  give 
heed  to  the  present,  whose  duties  are  pressing ; 
it  is  fidelity  to  the  present  which  prepares  us  for 

jfidelity  in  the  future. 

FRAN9OIS    DE    LA    MOTHE    FeNELON. 

Every  hour  comes  with  some  little  fagot  of 
God's  will  fastened  upon  its  back. 

F.  W.  Faber. 

J 


194  July  12 

Be  strongs  and  of  a  good  courage^  fear  not,  nor  he 
afraid  .  .  .  for  the  Lord  thy  God,  He  it  is  that 
doth  go  with  thee  ;  He  will  not  fail  thee,  nor  for- 
sake thee.  ■ —  Deut.  xxxi.  6. 


The  timid  it  concerns  to  ask  their  way, 
^^And  fear  what  foe  in  caves  and  swamps  can  stray, 
/To  make  no  step  until  the  event  is  known, 
\And  ills  to  come  as  evils  past  bemoan. 
/Not  so  the  wise  ;  no  coward  watch  he  keeps 
JTo  spy  what  danger  on  his  pathway  creeps  ; 
<Go  where  he  will,  the  wise  man  is  at  home, 
/His  hearth  the  earth,  — his  hall  the  azure  dome  ; 

J  Where  his  clear  spirit  leads  him,  there's  his  road, 
By  God's  own  light  illumined  and  foreshowed. 
R.  W.  Emerson. 


THOUGH  I  sympathize,  I  do  not  share  in 
the  least  the  feeling  of  being  disheartened 
and  cast  down.  It  is  not  things  of  this 
sort  that  depress  me,  or  ever  will.  The  con- 
trary things,  praise,  openings,  the  feeling  of  the 
greatness  of  my  work,  and  my  inability  in  re- 
lation to  it,  these  things  oppress  and  cast  me 
down  ;  but  little  hindrances,  and  closing  up  of 
accustomed  or  expected  avenues,  and  the  pres- 
ence of  difficulties  to  be  overcome,  —  I'm  not 
going  to  be  cast  down  by  trifles  such  as  these. 

James  Hinton. 


July  13  195 


And  the  Lord  shall  guide  thee  continually^  and 
*isfy  thy  soul  in  drought. —  Isa.  Iviii.  II. 


Wherever  He  may  guide  me. 

No  want  shall  turn  me  back  } 
My  Shepherd  is  beside  me, 

And  nothing  can  I  lack. 
His  wisdom  ever  waketh. 

His  sight  is  never  dim,  — 
He  knows  the  way  He  taketh. 

And  I  will  walk  with  Him. 

A.  L.  Waring. 


ABANDON  yourself  to  His  care  and  guid- 
ance, as  a  sheep  in  the  care  of  a  shepherd, 
and  trust  Him  utterly.  No  matter  though 
you  may  seem  to  yourself  to  be  in  the  very 
midst  of  a  desert,  with  nothing  green  about  you, 
inwardly  or  outwardly,  and  may  think  you  will 
have  to  make  a  long  journey  before  you  can 
get  into  the  green  pastures.  Our  Shepherd  will 
turn  that  very  place  where  you  are  into  green 
pastures,  for  He  has  power  to  make  the  desert 
rejoice  and  blossom  as  a  rose. 

H.  W.  Smith. 


196  July  14 

Be  not.  conformed  to  this  world:  but  be  ye  trans- 
formed by  the  renewing  of  your  mind.  —  Rom. 
xii.  2. 

i  Father,  let  our  faithful  mind 
Rest,  on  Thee  alone  inclined  ; 
Every  anxious  thought  repress. 
Keep  our  souls  in  perfect  peace. 

C.  Wesley. 

RETIREMENT  from  anxieties  of  every 
kind  j  entering  into  no  disputes  ;  avoiding 
all  frivolous  talk;  and  simplifying  every- 
thing we  engage  in,  whether  in  a  way  of  doing 
or  suffering;  denying  the  imagination  its  false 
activities,  and  the  intellect  its  false  searchings 
after  what  it  cannot  obtain,  —  these  seem  to  be 
some  of  the  steps  that  lead  to  obedience  to  the 
holy  precept  in  our  text.  James  P.  Greaves. 

Retire  inwardly  ;  wait  to  feel  somewhat  of 
God's  Spirit,  discovering  and  drawing  away  from 
that  which  is  contrary  to  His  holy  nature,  and 
leading  into  that  which  is  acceptable  to  Him. 
As  the  mind  is  joined  to  this,  some  true  light 
and  life  is  received.  I.  Penington. 

Act  up  faithfully  to  your  convictions ;  and 
when  you  have  been  unfaithful,  bear  with  youj- 
self,  and  resume  always  with  calm  simplicity 
your  little  task.  Suppress,  as  much  as  you  pos- 
sibly can,  all  recurrence  to  yourself,  and  you 
will  suppress  much  vanity.  Accustom  yourself 
to  much  calmness  and  an  indifference  to  events. 

Madame  Guyon, 


July  15  197 

Lift  up  your  heads^  O  ye  gates  ;  even  lift  them 
up.,  ye  everlasting  doors ;  and  the  King  of  glory 
shall  come  in.  —  Ps.  xxiv.  9. 


Te  are  the  temple  of  the  living  God.  —  2  CoR. 
vi.   16. 


Fling  wide  the  portals  of  your  heart, 
Make  it  a  temple  set  apart 
From  earthly  use  for  Heaven's  employ. 
Adorned  with  prayer,  and  love,  and  joy. 
So  shall  your  Sovereign  enter  in. 
And  new  and  nobler  life  begin. 

G.  Weissel. 


THOU  art  to  know  that  thy  soul  is  tne 
centre,  habitation,  and  kingdom  of  GoJ. 
That,  therefore,  to  the  end  the  sovereign 
King  may  rest  on  that  throne  of  thy  soul,  thou 
oughtest  to  take  pains  to  keep  it  clean,  quiet, 
and  peaceable,  —  clean  from  guilt  and  defects ; 
quiet  from  fears ;  and  peaceable  in  temptations 
and  tribulations.  Thou  oughtest  always,  then, 
to  keep  thine  heart  in  peace,  that  thou  may  est 
keep  pure  that  temple  of  God  ;  and  with  a  right 
and  pure  intention  thou  art  to  work,  pray,  obey, 
and  suffer  (without  being  in  the  least  moved), 
whatever  it  pleases  the  Lord  to  send  unto  thee. 

M.  D£  MOLINOS. 


198  July  16 

Oh  how  great  is  Thy  goodness,  which  Thou  hast 
laid  up  for  them  that  fear  Thee;  which  Thou 
hast  wrought  for  them  that  trust  in  Thee.  —  Ps. 
xxxi.  19. 

/  will  sing  unto  the  Lord,  because  He  hath  dealt 
bountifully  with  me.  —  Ps.  xiii.  6. 

Thy  calmness  bends  serene  above 

My  restlessness  to  still  ; 
Around  me  flows  Thy  quickening  life. 

To  nerve  my  faltering  will  ; 
Thy  presence  fills  my  solitude  ; 
Thy  providence  turns  all  to  good. 

S.  Longfellow. 

WITH  a  heart  devoted  to  God  and  full  of 
God,  no  longer  seek  Him  in  the  heavens 
above  or  the  earth  beneath,  or  in  the 
things  under  the  earth,  but  (recognize  Him  as 
the  great  fact  of  the  universe,'" separate  from  no 
place  or  part,  but  revealed  in  all  places  and  in 
all  things  and  events,  moment  by  moment.)  And 
as  eternity  alone  will  exhaust  this  momentary 
revelation,  which  has  sometimes  been  called  the 
Eternal  Now,  thou  shalt  thus  find  God  ever 
present  and  ever  new  ;  and  thy  soul  shall  adore 
Him  and  feed  upon  Him  in  the  things  and 
events  which  each  new  moment  brings ;  and 
thou  shalt  never  be  absent  from  Him,  and  He 
shall  never  be  absent  from  thee. 

T.  C.  Upham. 


July  17  199 

For  I  reckon  that  the  sufferings  of  this  present 
time  are  not  worthy  to  he  compared  with  the  glory 
which  shall  he  revealed  in  us.  —  Rom.  viii.  18. 


The  power  of  an  endless  life. —  Heb.  vii.  16. 


Believ'st  ihou  in  eternal  things  ? 

Thou  knowest,  in  thy  inmost  heart. 
Thou  art  not  clay  ;  thy  soul  hath  wings. 

And  what  thou  seest  is  but  part. 
Make  this  thy  med'cine  for  the  smart 

Of  every  day's  distress  ;  be  dumb, 
In  each  new  loss  thou  truly  art 

Tasting  the  power  of  things  that  come. 

T.  W.  Parsons. 


EVERY  contradiction  of  our  will,  every  little 
ailment,  every  petty  disappointment,  will, 
if  we  take  it  patiently,  become  a  blessing. 
So,  walking  on  earth,  we  may  be  in  heaven  ; 
the  ill-tempers  of  others,  the  slights  and  rude- 
nesses of  the  world,  ill-health,  the  daily  accidents 
with  which  God  has  mercifully  strewed  our 
paths,  instead  of  ruffling  or  disturbing  our  peace, 
may  cause  His  peace  to  be  shed  abroad  in  our 
hearts  abundantly. 

E.    B.    PU3EV. 


aoo  July  i8 

A  new  commandment  I  give  unto  you^  That  ye 
love  one  another ;  as  I  have  loved  yoUj  that  ye  also 
love  one  another.  — John  xiii.  34. 

And  the  Lord  make  you  to  increase  and  akound  in 
love^  one  toward  another^  and  toward  all  men.  — 
I  Thess.  iii.  12. 

Let  love  through  all  my  conduct  shine. 
An  image  fair,  though  faint,  of  Thine  ; 
Thus  let  me  His  disciple  prove. 
Who  came  to  manifest  Thy  love. 

Simon  Browne. 

WE  should  arrive  at  a  fulness  of  love  ex- 
tending to  the  whole  creation,  a  desire 
to  impart,  to  pour  out  in  full  and  copious 
streams  the  love  and   goodness  we  bear  to  all 
around  us.  J.  P.  Greaves. 

\      Goodness  and  love  mould  the  form  into  their 

I  own  image,  and  cause  the  joy  and  beauty  of  love 

\to    shine    forth    from   every   part    of   the    face. 

'When    this    form    of   love   is    seen,   it   appears 

ineffably  beautiful,  and  affects  with  delight  the 

inmost  life  of  the  soul.  E.  Swedenborg. 

The  soul  within  had  so  often  lighted  up  her 
countenance  with  its  own  full  happiness  and  joy, 
that  something  of  a  permanent  radiance  remained 
upon  it.  Sarah  W.  Stephen. 


July  19  201 

The  Lord  is  good  to  all :  and  His  tender  mercies 
are  over  all  His  works.  —  Ps.  cxlv.  9. 

For  every  beast  of  the  forest  is  Aline,  and  the 
cattle  upon  a  thousand  hills.  —  Ps.  1.  10. 

MAK.ER  of  earth  and  sea  and  sky, 
Creation's  sovereign  Lord  and  King, 

Who  hung  the  starry  worlds  on  high, 
And  formed  alike  the  sparrow's  wing ; 

Bless  the  dumb  creatures  of  Thy  care. 

And  listen  to  their  voiceless  prayer. 

Anon, 

I  BELIEVE  where  the  love  of  God  is  verily 
perfected,  and  the  true  spirit  of  government 
watchfully  attended  to,  a  tenderness  towards 
all  creatures  made  subject  to  us  will  be  experi- 
enced ;  and  a  care  felt  in  us,  that  we  do  not 
lessen  that  sweetness  of  life  in  the  animal  crea- 
tion, which  the  great  Creator  intends  for  them 
under  our  government.  To  say  we  love  God 
as  unseen,  and  at  the  same  time  exercise  cruelty 
toward  the  least  creature  moving  by  His  life,  or 
by  life  derived  from  Him,  was  a  contradiction 
in  itself. 

John  Woolman. 

I  WOULD  give  nothing  for  that  man's  religion 
whose  very  dog  and  cat  are  not  the  better  for  it. 

Rowland  Hill. 


202  July   20 

Then  I  said,  I  have  labored  in  vain,  I  have 
spent  my  strength  for  nought,  and  in  vain.  —  Isa. 
xlix.  4. 

Because  I  spent  the  strength  Thou  gavest  me 
In  struggle  which  Thou  never  didst  ordain, 
And  have  but  dregs  of  life  to  offer  Thee  — 
O  Lord,  I  do  repent. 

Sarah  Williams. 

MIND,  it  is  our  best  work  that  He  wants, 
not  the  dregs  of  our   exhaustion.      I 
think  He  must  prefer  quality  to  quantity. 
George  Macdonald. 
If  the  people  about  you  are  carrying  on  their 
business  or  their  benevolence  at  a  pace  which 
drains    the   life  out   of  you,   resolutely   take   a 
slower  pacep  be    called    a    laggard,  make  less 
money,  accomplish  less  work  than  they,  but  be 
what  you  were  meant  to  be  and  can  be.     You 
have  your  natural  limit  of  power  as  much  as  an 
engine,  —  ten-horse    power,    or   twenty,    or    a 
hundred.     You  are  fit  to  do  certain  kinds  of 
work,  and  you  need  a  certain  kind  and  amount 
of  fuel,  and  a  certain  kind  of  handling. 

George  S.  Merriam. 
In  your  occupations,  try  to  possess  your  soul 
in  peace.  It  is  not  a  good  plan  to  be  in  haste 
to  perform  any  action  that  it  may  be  the  sooner 
over.  On  the  contrary,  you  should  accustom 
yourself  to  do  whatever  you  have  to  do  with 
tranquillity,  in  order  that  you  may  retain  the 
possession  of  yourself  and  of  settled  peace. 

Madame  Guyon. 


July  21  203 

For  which  cause  we  faint  not ;  but^  though  our 
outward  man  perish^  yet  the  inward  man  is  re" 
newed  day  by  day.  —  2  CoR.  iv,  16. 


Let  my  soul  beneath  her  load 

Faint  not  through  the  o'erwearied  flesh  } 

Let  me  hourly  drink  afresh 

Love  and  peace  from  Thee,  my  God  ! 

C.    F.    RlCHTER.] 


IN  my  attempts  to  promote  the  comfort  of  my 
family,  the  quiet  of  my  spirit  has  been  dis- 
turbed. Some  of  this  is  doubtless  owing  to 
physical  weakness  ;  but,  with  every  temptation, 
there  is  a  way  of  escape  ;  there  is  never  any  need 
to  sin.  Another  thing  I  have  suffered  loss  from, 
—  entering  into  the  business  of  the  day  without 
seeking  to  have  my  spirit  quieted  and  directed. 
So  many  things  press  upon  me,  this  is  some- 
times neglected  ;  shame  to  me  that  it  should 
be  so. 

This  is  of  great  importance,  to  watch  care- 
fully, —  now  I  am  so  weak  —  not  to  over- 
fatigue myself,  because  then  I  cannot  contribute 
to  the  pleasure  of  others ;  and  a  placid  face  and 
a  gentle  tone  will  make  my  family  more  happy 
than  anything  else  I  can  do  for  them.  Our 
own  will  gets  sadly  into  the  performance  of  our 
duties  sometimes. 

Elizabeth  T.  King. 


204  July  22 

Whoso  is  zuise^  and  will  observe  these  things^ 
even  they  shall  understand  the  loving-kindness  of 
the  Lord.  —  Ps.  cvii.  43. 


What  channel  needs  our  faith,  except  the  eyes? 

God  leaves  no  spot  of  earth  unglorified  ; 
Profuse  and  wasteful,  lovelinesses  rise  ; 

New  beauties  dawn  before  the  old  have  died. 

Trust  thou  thy  joys  in  keeping  of  the  Power 

Who  holds  these  changing  shadows  in  His  hand  ; 

Believe  and  live,  and  know  that  hour  by  hour 
Will  ripple  newer  beauty  to  thy  strand. 

T.   W.   HiGGINSON. 


I  WONDERED  over  again  for  the  hun- 
dredth time  what  could  be  the  principle 
which,  in  the  wildest,  most  lawless,  fan- 
tastically chaotic,  apparently  capricious  work  of 
nature,  always  kept  it  beautiful.  The  beauty 
of  holiness  must  be  at  the  heart  of  it  somehow, 
I  thought.  Because  our  God  is  so  free  from 
stain,  so  loving,  so  unselfish,  so  good,  so  alto- 
gether what  He  wants  us  to  be,  so  holy,  there- 
fore all  His  works  declare  Him  in  beauty  ; 
His  fingers  can  touch  nothing  but  to  mould  it 
into  loveliness ;  and  even  the  play  of  His  ele- 
ments is  in  grace  and  tenderness  of  form. 

G.  Macponald. 


July  23  205 

Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
hearty  and  with  all  thy  soul^  and  with  all  thy 
strength,  and  with  all  thy  mind.  — Luke  x.  27. 

O  God,  what  offering  shall  I  give 

To  Thee,  the  Lord  of  earth  and  skies  ? 

My  spirit,  soul,  and  flesh  receive, 

A  holy,  living  sacrifice.  J.   Lange. 

TO  love  God  "with  all  our  heart,"  is  to 
know  the  spiritual  passion  of  measureless 
gratitude  for  loving-kindness,  and  self- 
devotedness  to  goodness ;  to  love  Him  "  with 
all  our  mind,"  is  to  know  the  passion  for  Truth 
that  is  the  enthusiasm  of  Science,  the  passion 
for  Beauty  that  inspires  the  poet  and  the  artist, 
when  all  truth  and  beauty  are  regarded  as  the 
self-revealings  of  God;  to  love  Him  "with  all 
our  soul,"  is  to  know  the  saint's  rapture  of  de- 
votion and  gaze  of  penitential  awe  into  the  face 
of  the  All-holy,  the  saint's  abhorrence  of  sin, 
and  agony  of  desire  to  save  a  sinner's  soul ;  and 
to  love  Him  "  with  all  our  strength,"  is  the 
supreme  spiritual  passion  that  tests  the  rest ;  the 
passion  for  reality,  for  worship  in  spirit  and  in 
truth,  for  being  what  we  adore,  for  doing  what 
we  know  to  be  God's  word ;  the  loyalty  that 
exacts  the  living  sacrifice,  the  whole  burnt-offer- 
ing that  is  our  reasonable  service,  and  in  our 
coldest  hours  keeps  steadfast  to  what  seemed 
good  when  we  were  aglow.  J.  H.  Thom. 


2o6  July  24 

Walk  worthy  of  God^  who  hath  called  you  unto 
His  kingdom  and  glory.  —  I  Thess.  ii.  12. 

Surely  the  Lord  is  in  this  place ;  and  I  knew  it 
not.  —  Gen.  xxviii.  16. 

Thou  earnest  not  to  thy  place  by  accident. 

It  is  the  very  place  God  meant  for  thee  ; 

And  shouldst  thou  there  small  scope  for  action  see. 

Do  not  for  this  give  room  to  discontent. 

R.  C.  Trench. 

ACCEPT  the  place  the  divine  providence 
has  found   for  you,  the  society  of  your 
contemporaries,  the  connection  of  events. 
R.   W.  Emerson. 

ADAPT  thyself  to  the  things  with  which  thy 
lot  has  been  cast ;  and  love  the  men  with  whom 
it  is  thy  portion  to  live,  and  that  with  a  sincere 
affection.  No  longer  be  either  dissatisfied  with 
thy  present  lot,  or  shrink  from  the  future. 

Marcus  Antoninus. 

I  LOVE  best  to  have  each  thing  in  its  season, 
doing  without  it  at  all  other  times.  I  have  never 
got  over  my  surprise  that  I  should  have  been 
born  into  the  most  estimable  place  in  all  the 
world,  and  in  the  very  nick  of  time  too. 

H.  D.  Thoreau 


July  25  207 

He  knoweth  the  way  that  I  take. — Job  xxiii.  10. 

Man's  goings  are  of  the  Lord ;  how  can  a  manl 
then  understand  his  own  way  ?  —  Prov.  xx.  24.    c 

Be  quiet,  why  this  anxious  heed 
About  thy  tangled  ways  ? 
God  knows  them  all,  He  giveth  speed. 
And  He  allows  delays. 

E.  W. 

WE  complain  of  the  slow,  dull  life  we  are 
forced  to  lead,  of  our  humble  sphere  of 
action,  of  our  low  position  in  the  scale 
of  society,  of  our  having  no  room  to  make  our- 
selves known,  of  our  wasted  energies,  of  our 
years  of  patience.  So  do  we  say  that  we  have 
no  Father  who  is  directing  our  life;  so  do  we 
say  that  God  has  forgotten  us ;  so  do  we  boldly 
judge  what  life  is  best  for  us  j  and  so  by  our  com- 
plaining do  we  lose  the  use  and  profit  of  the 
quiet  years.  O  men  of  lit'tle  faith  !  Because 
you  are  not  sent  out  yet  into  your  labor,  do  you 
think  God  has  ceased  to  remember  you  ?  Be- 
cause you  are  forced  to  be  outwardly  inactive, 
do  you  think  you,  also,  may  not  be,  in  your 
years  of  quiet,  "  about  your  Father's  business  "  ? 
It  is  a  period  given  to  us  in  which  to  mature 
ourselves  for  the  work  which  God  will  give  us 
to  do. 

Stopford  a.   Brooke. 


2o8  July  26 


They  that  trust  in  the  Lord  shall  be  as  Mount 
Zion^  which  cannot  be  removed^  but  abideth  for  ever. 
As  the  mountains  are  round  about  "Jerusalem^  so  the 
Lord  is  round  about  His  people  from  henceforth 
even  for  ever,  —  Ps.  cxxv.  i,  2. 


How  on  a  rock  they  stand, 
Who  watch  His  eye,  and  hold  His  guiding  hand  ! 
Not  half  so  fixed  amid  her  vassal  hills, 
Rises  the  holy  pile  that  Kedron's  valley  fills. 

J.   Keble 


THAT  is  the  way  to  be  immovable  in  the 
midst  of  troubles,  as  a  rock  amidst  the 
waves.  When  God  is  in  the  midst  of  a 
kingdom  or  city,  He  makes  it  firm  as  Mount 
Sion,  that  cannot  be  removed.  When  He  is  in 
the  midst  of  a  soul,  though  calamities  throng 
about  it  on  all  hands,  and  roar  like  the  billows 
of  the  sea,  yet  there  is  a  constant  calm  within.i 
such  a  peace  as  the  world  can  neither  give  nor 
take  away.  What  is  it  but  want  of  lodging 
God  in  the  soul,  and  that  in  His  stead  the  world 
is  in  men's  hearts,  that  makes  them  shake  like 
leaves  at  every  blast  of  danger  ? 

R.  Leighton. 


July  27  209 

He  that  received  seed  into  the  good  ground  is 
he  that  heareth  the  word^  and  understandeth  it; 
which  also  heareth  fruity  and  bringeth  forth^  some 
an  hundredfold^  some  sixty,  some  thirty.  —  Matt. 
xiii.   23. 


Then  bless  thy  secret  growth,  nor  catch 
At  noise,  but  thrive  unseen  and  dumb  5 

Keep  clean,  bear  fruit,  earn  life,  and  watch 
Till  the  white-winged  reapers  come. 

H.  Vaughan. 


HE  does  not  need  to  transplant  us  into  a 
different  field,  but  right  where  we  are, 
with  just  the  circumstances  that  sur- 
round us,  He  makes  His  sun  to  shine  and  His 
dew  to  fall  upon  us,  and  transforms  the  very 
things  that  were  before  our  greatest  hindrances, 
into  the  chiefest  and  most  blessed  means  of  our 
growth.  No  difficulties  in  your  case  can  baffle 
Him.  No  dwarfing  of  your  growth  in  years 
that  are  past,  no  apparent  dryness  of  your  in- 
ward springs  of  life,  no  crookedness  or  deform- 
ity in  any  of  your  past  development,  can  in  the 
least  mar  the  perfect  work  that  He  will  ac- 
complish, if  you  will  only  put  yourselves  abso- 
lutely into  His  hands,  and  let  Him  have  His 
own  way  with  you. 

H.  W.  Smith 


aio  July  28 

But  I  would  not  have  you  to  be  ignorant^  breth- 
ren^ concerning  them  which  are  asleep^  that  ye  sor- 
row not^  even  as  others  which  have  no  hope.  —  i 
Thess.  iv.  13. 

Yet  Love  will  dream,  and  Faith  will  trust 
(Since  He  who  knows  our  need  is  just), 
That  somehow,  somewhere,  meet  we  must. 
Alas  for  him  who  never  sees 
.        The  stars  shine  through  his  cypress  trees  j 
* '    Who  hath  not  learned  in  hours  of  faith, 
^         The  truth  to  flesh  and  sense  unknown, 
'    That  life  is  ever  Lord  of  Death, 

And  Love  can  never  lose  its  own. 

J.  G.  Whittier. 

WHILE  we  poor  wayfarers  still  toil,  with 
hot  and  bleeding  feet,  along  the  high- 
way and  the  dust  of  life,  our  com- 
panions have  but  mounted  the  divergent  path, 
to  explore  the  more  sacred  streams,  and  visit 
the  diviner  vales,  and  wander  amid  the  everlast- 
ing Alps,  of  God's  upper  province  of  creation. 
And  so  we  keep  up  the  courage  of  our  hearts, 
and  refresh  ourselves  with  the  memories  of  love, 
and  travel  forward  in  the  ways  of  duty,  with 
less  weary  step,  feeling  ever  for  the  hand  of 
God,  and  listening  for  the  domestic  voices  of 
the  immortals  whose  happy  welcome  waits  us. 
Death,  in  short,  under  the  Christian  aspect,  is 
but  God's  method  of  colonization ;  the  transi- 
tion from  this  mother-country  of  our  race  to  the 
fairer  and  newer  world  of  our  emigration. 

J.   Martineau. 


July  29  211 

But  this  I  say,  brethren,  the  time  is  short.  —  i 
Cor.  vH.  29. 

I  SOMETIMES  feel  the  thread  of  life  is  slender, 
And  soon  with  me  the  labor  will  be  wrought ; 
Then  grows  my  heart  to  other  hearts  more  tender. 
The  time  is  short. 

D.   M.   Craik. 

OH,  my  dear  friends,  you  who  are  letting  ( 
miserable  misunderstandings  run  on  from  \ 
year  to  year,  meaning  to  clear  them  up  ( 
some  day  ;  you  who  are  keeping  wretched  quar^ 
rels   alive   because  you   cannot  quite  make   up 
your  mind  that  now  is  the  day  to  sacrifice  your 
pride  and  kill  them ;  you  who  are  passing  men  ■ 
sullenly  upon  the  street,  not  speaking  to  them  / 
out  of  some  silly  spite,  and  yet  knowing  that  it  * 
would  fill  you   with  shame  and  remorse  if  you  1 
heard  that  one  of  those   men  were    dead   to-  / 
morrow    morning;   you   who    are    letting    your) 
neighbor  starve,  till  you  hear  that  he  is  dying 
of  starvation  ;  or  letting  your  friend's  heart  ache 
for  a  word  of  appreciation  or  sympathy,  which 
you  mean  to  give  him  some  day,  —  if  you  only 
could  know  and  see  and  feel,  all  of  a  sudden, 
that  "the  time  is  short,"   how  it  would  break  / 
the   spell !      How  you   would  go   instantly  and  1 
do  the  thing  which  you  might  never  have  an-  ) 
other  chance  to  do. 

Phillips  Bruuks. 


212  July  30 

Remember  not  the  sins  of  my  youth ^  nor  my  trans- 
gressions :  according  to  Thy  mercy  remember  Thou 
me  for  Thy  goodness*  sake^  O  Lord.  —  Ps.  xxv.  7. 


When  on  my  aching,  burdened  heart 

My  sins  lie  heavily, 
My  pardon  speak,  new  peace  impart. 

In  love  remember  me. 

T.  Haweis. 


WE  need  to  know  that  our  sins  are  for- 
given. And  how  shall  we  know  this? 
By  feeling  that  we  have  peace  with 
God,  —  by  feeling  that  we  are  able  so  to  trust 
in  the  divine  compassion  and  infinite  tenderness 
of  our  Father,  as  to  arise  and  go  to  Him,  when- 
ever we  commit  sin,  and  say  at  once  to  Him, 
"  Father,  I  have  sinned ;  forgive  me."  To 
know  that  we  are  forgiven,  it  is  only  necessary 
to  look  at  our  Father's  love  till  it  sinks  into  our 
heart,  to  open  our  soul  to  Him  till  He  shall 
pour  His  love  into  it ;  to  wait  on  Him  till  we 
find  peace,  till  our  conscience  no  longer  tor- 
ments us,  till  the  weight  of  responsibility  ceases 
to  be  an  oppressive  burden  to  us,  till  we  can 
feel  that  our  sins,  great  as  they  are,  cannot  keep 
us  away  from  our  Heavenly  Father. 

J.  F.  Clarke. 


July  31  213 


/  have  blotted  out^  as  a  thick  cloudy  thy  trans- 
gressions., and^  as  a  cloud,  thy  sins  :  return  unto  Me-y 
for  I  have  redeemed  thee.  —  Isa.  xliv.  22. 

He  will  turn  again.,  He  will  have  compassion 
upon  us ;  He  will  subdue  our  iniquities  ;  and  Thou 
wilt  cast  all  their  sins  into  the  depths  of  the  sea.  — 
MicAH  vii.  19. 


If  my  shut  eyes  should  dare  their  lids  to  part, 
I  know  how  they  must  quail  beneath  the  blaze 
Of  Thy  Love's  greatness.      No  ;  I  dare  not  raise 
One  prayer,  to  look  aloft,  lest  it  should  gaze 
On  such  forgiveness  as  would  break  my  heart. 

H.  S.  Sutton. 


OLORD  God  gracious  and  merciful,  give 
us,  I  entreat  Thee,  a  humble  trust  in  Thy 
mercy,  and  suffer  not  our  heart  to  fail  us. 
Though  our  sins  be  seven,  though  our  sins  be 
seventy  times  seven,  though  our  sins  be  more  in 
number  than  the  hairs  of  our  head,  yec  give  us 
grace  in  loving  penitence  to  cast  ourselves  down 
into  the  depth  of  Thy  compassion.  Let  us  fall 
into  the  hand  of  the  Lord.     Amen. 

C     G.    ROSSETTI. 


'214  August  I 

Be  not  hasty  in  thy  spirit  to  be  angry  :  for  anger 
resteth  in  the  bosom  of  fools.  — EccLES.  vii.  9. 

Let  not  the  sun  go  down  upon  your  wrath.  — 
Eph.  iv.  26. 


Quench  thou  the  fires  of  hate  and  strife, 

The  wasting  fever  of  the  heart ; 
From  perils  guard  our  feeble  life, 

And  to  our  souls  Thy  peace  impart. 

J.   H.   Newman,  Tr.  from  Latin 


WHEN  thou  art  offended  or  annoyed  by 
others,  suffer  not  thy  thoughts  to  dwell 
thereon,  or  on  anything  relating  to  them. 
For  example,  "  that  they  ought  not  so  to  have 
treated  thee;  who  they  are,  or  whom  they  think 
themselves  to  be ;  "  or  the  like ;  for  all  this  is 
fuel  and  kindling  of  wrath,  anger,  and  hatred. 

L.    ScUPOLI. 


Struggle  diligently  against  your  impatience, 
and  strive  to  be  amiable  and  gentle,  in  season 
and  out  of  season,  towards  every  one,  however 
much  they  may  vex  and  annoy  you,  and  be  sure 
God  will  bless  your  efforts. 

St.  Francis  oe  Sales. 


August  2  215 

Behold^  God  is  my  salvation  ;  I  will  trusty  and 
not  be  afraid :  for  the  Lord  "Jehovah  is  my  strength 
and  my  song ;  He  also  is  become  my  salvation.  — 
IsA.  xii.  2. 


JVhy  are  ye  so  fearful  ?     How  is  it  that  ye 
have  no  faith  ?  —  Mark  iv.  40. 


Still  heavy  Is  thy  heart  ? 

Still  sink  thy  spirits  down  ? 
Cast  off  the  weight,  let  fear  depart, 

And  every  care  be  gone. 

P.  Gerhardt. 


Go  on  in  all  simplicity ;  do  not  be  so  anx- 
ious to  win  a  quiet  mind,  and  it  will  be 
all  the  quieter.  Do  not  examine  so 
closely  into  the  progress  of  your  soul.  Do  not 
crave  so  much  to  be  perfect,  but  let  your  spirit- 
ual life  be  formed  by  your  duties,  and  by  the 
actions  which  are  called  forth  by  circumstances. 
Do  not  take  overmuch  thought  for  to-morrow. 
God,  who  has  led  you  safely  on  so  far,  will  lead 
you  on  to  the  end.  Be  altogether  at  rest  in  the 
loving  holy  confidence  which  you  ought  to  have 
in  His  heavenly  Providence. 

St.   Francis  de  Sales. 


2i6  August  3 

Thou  hast  made  htm  exceeding  glad  with  Thy 
countenance.  —  Ps.  xxi.  6. 

My  heart  for  gladness  springs, 

It  cannot  more  be  sad, 
For  very  joy  it  laughs  and  sings, 

Sees  nought  but  sunshine  glad. 

P.  Gerhardt. 

ANEW  day  rose  upon  me.  It  was  as  if 
another  sun  had  risen  into  the  sky  ;  the 
heavens  were  indescribably  brighter,  and 
the  earth  fairer  ;  and  that  day  has  gone  on  bright- 
ening to  the  present  hour.  I  have  known  the 
other  joys  of  life,  I  suppose,  as  much  as  most 
men  ;  I  have  known  art  and  beauty,  music  and 
gladness  ;  I  have  known  friendship  and  love  and 
family  ties  j  but  it  is  certain  that  till  we  see  God 
in  the  world  —  God  in  the  bright  and  boundless 
universe  —  we  never  know  the  highest  joy.  It 
is  far  more  than  if  one  were  translated  to  a  world 
a  thousand  times  fairer  than  this ;  for  that 
supreme  and  central  Light  of  Infinite  Love  and 
Wisdom,  shining  over  this  world  and  all  worlds, 
alone  can  show  us  how  noble  and  beautiful,  how 
fair  and  glorious  they  are.  Orville  Dewey. 

When  I  look  like  this  into  the  blue  sky,  it 
seems  so  deep,  so  peaceful,  so  full  of  a  mys- 
terious tenderness,  that  I  could  lie  for  centuries 
and  wait  for  the  dawning  of  the  face  of  God  out 
of  the  awful  loving-kindness.        G.  Macdonald. 


August  4  217 

He  satisfieth  the  longing  soul,  and  the  hungry 
)oul  He  fillethwith  good.  —  Ps.  cvii.  9  (R.  V.). 

That  ye  might  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness  of 
God.  —  Eph.  iii.   19. 

^  Enough  that  He  who  made  can  fill  the  soul 
)        Here  and  hereafter  till  its  deep's  o'erflow  ; 

N  Enough  that  love  and  tenderness  control 
/       Our  fate  where'er  in  joy  or  doubt  we  go. 

Anon. 


OGOD,  the  Life  of  the  Faithful,  the  Blisj 
of  the   righteous,  mercifully  receive  th( 
prayers  of  Thy  suppliants,  that  the  souls 
which  thirst  for  Thy  promises  may  evermore  be 
filled  from  Thy  abundance.     Amen. 

Gelasian  Sacramentary,  a.  d.  490. 

God  makes  every  common  thing  serve,  if 
thou  wilt,  to  enlarge  that  capacity  of  bliss  in 
His  love.  Not  a  prayer,  not  an  act  of  faithful- 
ness in  your  calling,  not  a  self-denying  or  kind 
word  or  deed,  done  out  of  love  for  Himself; 
not  a  weariness  or  painfulness  endured  pa- 
tiently ;  not  a  duty  performed ;  not  a  temptation 
resisted ;  but  it  enlarges  the  whole  soul  for  the 
endless  capacity  of  the  love  of  God. 

E.   B.  PusEr. 


21 8  August  5 

O  receive  the  gift  that  is  given  you^  and  be  glad^ 
giving  thanks  unto  Him  that  hath  called  you  to  the 
heavenly  kingdom.  —  2  EsDRAS  ii.  37. 

Thanks  be  unto  God  for  His  unspeakable  gift.  — 
2  Cor.  ix.  15. 

O  Giver  of  each  perfect  gift  ! 
This  day  our  daily  bread  supply  ; 
While  from  the  Spirit's  tranquil  depths 
We  drink  unfailing  draughts  of  joy. 

Lyra  Catholica. 

THE  best  way  for  a  man  rightly  to  enjoy 
himself,  is  to  maintain  a  universal,  ready, 
and  cheerful  compliance  with  the  divine 
and  uncreated  Will  in  all  things ;  as  knowing 
that  nothing  can  issue  and  flow  forth  from  the 
fountain  of  goodness  but  that  which  is  good  ; 
and  therefore  a  good  man  is  never  offended  with 
any  piece  of  divine  dispensation,  nor  hath  he 
any  reluctancy  against  that  Will  that  dictates 
and  determines  all  things  by  an  eternal  rule  of 
goodness;  as  knowing  that  there  is  an  unbounded 
and  almighty  Love  that,  without  any  disdain  or 
envy,  freely  communicates  itself  to  everything 
He  made ;  that  always  enfolds  those  in  His 
everlasting  arms  who  are  made  partakers  of  His 
own  image,  perpetually  nourishing  and  cherish- 
ing them  with  the  fresh  and  vital  influences  of 
His  grace. 

Dr.  John  Smith. 


August  6  219 

Bless  the  Lord,,   O  my  sou!,  and  forget  not  all 
His  benefits.  —  Ps.  ciii.  2. 

Wiser  it  were  to  welcome  and  make  ours 
Wliate'er  of  good,  though  small,  the  Present  brings, — 
Kind  greetings,  sunshine,  song  of  birds,  and  flowers. 
With  a  child's  pure  delight  in  little  things. 

R,  C.  Trench. 

INTO  all  our  lives,  in  many  simple,  familiar, 
homely  ways,  God  infuses  this  element  of 
joy  from  the  surprises  of  life,  which  unex- 
pectedly brighten  our  days,  and  fill  our  eyes 
with  light.  He  drops  this  added  sweetness  into 
His  children's  cup,  and  makes  it  to  run  over. 
The  success  we  wey^e  not  counting  on,  the 
blessing  we  were  not  trying  after,  the  strain  of 
music,  in  the  midst  of  drudgery,  the  beautiful 
morning  picture  or  sunset  glory  thrown  in  as 
we  pass  to  or  from  our  daily  business,  the  un- 
sought word  of  encouragement  or  expression  of 
sympathy,  the  sentence  that  meant  for  us  more 
than  the  writer  or  speaker  thought,  —  these  and 
a  hundred  others  that  every  one's  experience 
can  supply  are  instances  of  what  I  mean.  You 
may  call  it  accident  or  chance  —  it  often  is ; 
you  may  call  it  human  goodness  —  it  often  is ; 
but  always,  always  call  it  God's  love,  for  that  is 
always  in  it.  These  are  the  overflowing  riches 
of  His  grace,  these  are  His  free  gifts. 

S    Longfellow, 


220  August  7 

If  thou  canst  believe^  all  things  are  possible  to 
him  that  believeth.  —  Mark  ix.  23. 

Nothing  shall  be  impossible  unto  you.  —  Matt. 
xvii.  20. 

So  nigh  is  grandeur  to  our  dust, 

So  near  is  God  to  man, 
When  Duty  whispers  low.  Thou  must. 

The  youth  replies,  /  can. 

R.   W.  Emerson. 


KNOW  that  "  impossible,"  where  truth  and 
mercy  and  the  everlasting  voice  of  nature 
order,  has  no  place  in  the  brave  man's 
dictionary.  That  when  all  men  have  said  "  Im- 
possible," and  tumbled  noisily  elsewhither,  and 
thou  alone  art  left,  then  first  thy  time  and  pos- 
sibility have  come.  It  is  for  thee  now :  do  thou 
that,  and  ask  no  man's  counsel,  but  thy  own 
only  and  God's.  Brother,' thou  hast  possibility 
in  thee  for  much :  the  possibility  of  writing  on 
the  eternal  skies  the  record  of  a  heroic  life. 

T.  Carlyle. 

In  the  moral  world  there  is  nothing  impos- 
sible, if  we  bring  a  thorough  will  to  it.  Man 
can  do  everything  with  himself;  but  he  must 
not  attempt  to  do  too  much  with  others. 

Wm.  von  Humboldt. 


August   8  221 

II  '  — «» 

Stand  fast  therefore  in  the  liberty  wherewith 
Christ  hath  made  us  free^  and  he  not  entangled 
again  with  the  yoke  of  bondage.  —  Gal.  v.  I. 

I  believed^  and  therefore  have  I  spoken,  —  2  Cor, 
iv.  13. 

They  are  slaves  who  fear  to  speak 
For  the  fallen  and  the  weak  ; 
They  are  slaves  who  will  not  choose 
Hatred,  scoffing,  and  abuse, 
Rather  than  in  silence  shrink 
From  the  truth  they  needs  must  think  j 
They  are  slaves  who  dare  not  be 
In  the  right  with  two  or  three. 

J.  R.  Lowell 

THE  real  corrupters  of  society  may  be,  noi 
the  corrupt,  but  those  who  have  held 
back  the  righteous  leaven,  the  salt  that 
has  lost  its  savor,  the  innocent  who  have  nof 
even  the  moral  courage  to  show  what  they  think 
of  the  effrontery  of  impurity,  —  the  serious,  who 
yet  timidly  succumb  before  some  loud-voiced 
scoffer,  —  the  heart  trembling  all  over  with 
religious  sensibilities  that  yet  suffers  itself  through 
false  shame  to  be  beaten  down  into  outward 
and  practical  acquiescence  by  some  rude  and 
worldly  nature. 

J.  H.  Thom. 


222  August   9 

The  things  which  are  impossible  with  men  art 
possible  with  God. — LuKE  xviii.   27. 

Unless  the  Lord  had  been  my  help^  my  soul  had 
almost  dwelt  in  silence.  —  Ps.  xciv.  17. 

When  obstacles  and  trials  seem 

Like  prison-walls  to  be, 
I  do  the  little  I  can  do, 

And  leave  the  rest  to  Thee. 

F.   W.   Faber. 

THE  mind  never  puts  forth  greater  power 
over  itself  than  when,  in  great  trials,  it 
yields  up  calmly  its  desires,  affections, 
interests  to  God.  There  are  seasons  when  to 
be  itill  demands  immeasurably  higher  strength 
than  to  act.  Composure  is  often  the  highest 
result  of  power.  Think  you  it  demands  no 
power  to  calm  the  stormy  elements  of  passion, 
to  moderate  the  vehemence  of  desire,  to  throw 
off  the  load  of  dejection,  to  suppress  every  re- 
pining thought,  when  the  dearest  hopes  are 
withered,  and  to  turn  the  wounded  spirit  from 
dangerous  reveries  and  wasting  grief,  to  the 
quiet  discharge  of  ordinary  duties  ?  Is  there  no 
power  put  forth,  when  a  man,  stripped  of  his 
property,  of  the  fruits  of  a  life's  labors,  quells 
discontent  and  gloomy  forebodings,  and  serenely 
and  patiently  returns  to  the  tasks  which  Provi- 
dence assigns  ? 

Wm.  E.  Channing. 


August  10  223 

The  cup  which  my  Father  has  given  me,  shall  1 
not  drink  it  F  —  John  xviii.  11. 

Whatsoever  is  brought  upon  thee,  take  cheerfully,  < 
—  ECCLESIASTICUS   ii.  4. 


Every  sorrow,  every  smart, 
That  the  Eternal  Father's  heart 
Hath  appointed  me  of  yore. 
Or  hath  yet  for  me  in  store, 
As  my  life  flows  on,  I  Ml  take 
Calmly,  gladly,  for  His  sake. 
No  more  faithless  murmurs  make 

P.  Gerhardt. 


THE  very  least  and  the  very  greatest  sorrows 
that  God  ever  suffers  to  befall  thee,  pro- 
ceed from  the  depths  of  His  unspeakable 
love ;  and  such  great  love  were  better  for  thee 
than  the  highest  and  best  gifts  besides  that  He 
has  given  thee,  or  ever  could  give  thee,  if  thou 
couldst  but  see  it  in  this  light.  So  that  if  your 
little  finger  only  aches,  if  you  are  cold,  if  you 
are  hungry  or  thirsty,  if  others  vex  you  by  their 
words  or  deeds,  or  whatever  happens  to  you 
that  causes  you  distress  or  pain,  it  will  all  help 
to  fit  you  for  a  noble  and  blessed  state. 

J.  Tauler. 


224  August  II 


The  Lord  thy  God  shall  bless  thee  in  all  thy 
ivorks^  and  in  all  that  thou  puttest  thine  hand 
unto.  —  Deut.  XV.   10. 


My  place  of  lowly  service,  too, 

Beneath  Thy  sheltering  wings  I  see  } 

For  all  the  work  I  have  to  do 

Is  done  through  strengthening  rest  in  Thee. 

A.  L.   Waring. 


I  THINK  I  find  most  help  in  trying  to  look 
on  all  interruptions  and  hindrances  to  work 
that  one  has  planned  out  for  oneself  as  dis- 
cipline, trials  sent  by  God  to  help  one  against 
getting  selfish  over  one's  work.  Then  one  can 
feel  that  perhaps  one's  true  work  —  one's  work 
for  God  —  consists  in  doing  some  trifling  hap- 
hazard thing  that  has  been  thrown  into  one's 
day.  It  is  not  waste  of  time,  as  one  is  tempted 
to  think,  it  is  the  most  important  part  of  the 
work  of  the  day,  —  the  part  one  can  best  offei 
to  God.  After  such  a  hindrance,  do  not  rush 
after  the  planned  work;  trust  that  the  time  to 
finish  it  will  be  given  sometime,  and  keep  a 
^uiet   heart  about   it. 

Annie  Keaxv. 


August  12  225 

Master^  what  shall  I  do  to  inherit  eternal  life  ? 
—  Luke  x.  25. 


Whatsoever  thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with 
thy  might.  — EccLES.  ix.  10. 


"  What  shall  I  do  to  gain  eternal  life  ?  " 
<*  Discharge  aright 
The  simple  dues  with  which  each  day  is  rife, 
Yea,  with  thy  might." 

F.    VON    SCHILLER'/ 


A  MAN  is  relieved  and  gay  when  he  has^ 
put  his  heart  into  his  work,  and  done  his, 
best ;  but  what  he  has  said  or  done  other- 
wise, shall  give  him  no  peace. 

R.  W.  Emerson„ 


Be  diligent,  after  thy  power,  to  do  deeds  of 
love.  Think  nothing  too  little,  nothing  too  low, 
to  do  lovingly  for  the  sake  of  God.  Bear  with 
infirmities,  ungentle  tempers,  contradictions; 
visit,  if  thou  mayest,  the  sick ;  relieve  the 
poor;  forego  thyself  and  thine  own  ways  for 
love ;  and  He  whom  in  them  thou  West,  to 
whom  in  them  thou  ministerest,  will  own  thy 
love,  and  will  pour  His  own  love  into  thee. 

E.  B.  PusEv. 
IS 


\ 


116  August  13 

In  your  patience  possess  ye  your  souls,  —  Luke 
xxi.  19. 

What  though  thy  way  be  dark,  and  earth 
With  ceaseless  care  do  cark,  tiil  mirth 

To  thee  no  sweet  strain  singeth  j 
Still  hide  thy  life  above,  and  still 
Believe  that  God  is  love  ;  fulfil 

Whatever  lot  He  bringeth. 

Albert  E.  Evans- 

THE  soul  loses  command  of  itself  when  it 
is  impatient.  Whereas,  when  it  submits 
without  a  murmur  it  possesses  itself  in 
peace,  and  possesses  God.  To  be  impatient, 
is  to  desire  what  we  have  not,  or  not  to  desire 
what  we  have.  When  we  acquiesce  in  an  evil^ 
it  is  no  longer  such.  Why  make  a  real  calam- 
ity of  it  by  resistance  ?  Peace  does  not  dwell 
in  outward  things,  but  within  the  soul.  We 
may  preserve  it  in  the  midst  of  the  bitterest 
pain,  if  our  will  remains  firm  and  submis- 
sive. Peace  in  this  life  springs  from  acquies- 
cence even  in  disagreeable  things,  not  in  an 
exemption   from  bearing  them. 

Francois  de  la  Mothe  Fenelon. 

The  chief  pang  of  most  trials  is  not  so  much 
the  actual  suffering  itself,  as  our  own  spirit  of 
resistance  to  it. 

Jean  Nicolas  Grou. 


August  14  227 

■"■  .    ■—  ■- -  .  —    ^ 

/  will  lift  up   mine  eyes  unto   the  hills,  from  \ 
whence  cometh  my  help.  —  Ps.  cxxi.  i.  X 

My  grace  is  sufficient  for  thee.  —  2  CoR.  xii.  9. 

I  LOOK  to  Thee  in  every  need. 

And  never  look  in  vain  ; 
I  feel  Thy  touch,  Eternal  Love, 

And  all  is  well  again  : 
The  thought  of  Thee  is  mightier  far 
Than  sin  and  pain  and  sorrow  are. 

S.  Longfellow. 

HOW  can  you  live  sweetly  amid  the  vexa- 
tiouj.  things,  the  irritating  things,  the 
multitude  of  little  worries  and  frets, 
which  lie  all  along  your  way,  and  which  you  can- 
not evade  \  You  cannot  at  present  change  your 
surroundings.  Whatever  kind  of  life  you  are  to 
live,  must  be  lived  amid  precisely  the  experiences 
in  which  you  are  now  movmg.  Here  you  must 
win  your  victories  or  suffer  your  defeats.  No 
restlessness  or  discontent  can  change  your  lot 
Others  may  have  other  circumstances  surround- 
ing them,  but  here  are  yours.  You  had  better 
make  up  your  mind  to  accept  what  you  cannot 
alter.  You  can  live  a  beautiful  life  in  the  midst 
of  your  present  circumstances.        J.   R.   Miller. 

Strive  to  realize  a  state  of  inward  happiness, ^ 
independent  of  circumstances.         J.  P,  Greaves.  ) 


22  8  August  15 

■ 

God  hath  not  given  us  the  spirit  of  fear  ;  but 
of  power ^  and  of  love^  and  of  a  sound  mind.  — 
2  Tim.  i.  7. 

We  cast  behind  fear,  sin,  and  death  ; 

With  Thee  we  seek  the  things  above  ; 
Our  inmost  souls  Thy  spirit  breathe, 

Of  power,  of  calmness,  and  of  love. 

Hymns  of  the  Spirit. 

I  MUST  conclude  with  a  more  delightful  sub- 
ject, —  my  most  dear  and  blessed  sister.  I 
never  saw  a  more  perfect  instance  of  the 
spirit  of  power  and  of  love,  and  of  a  sound 
mind ;  intense  love,  almost  to  the  annihilation 
of  selfishness  —  a  daily  martyrdom  for  twenty 
years,  during  which  she  adhered  to  her  early- 
formed  resolution  of  never  talking  about  herself; 
thoughtful  about  the  very  pins  and  ribands  of 
my  wife's  dress,  about  the  making  of  a  doll's  cap 
for  a  child,  —  but  of  herself,  save  only  as  re- 
garded her  ripening  in  all  goodness,  wholly 
thoughtless ;  enjoying  everything  lovely,  grace- 
ful, beautiful,  high-minded,  whether  in  God's 
works  or  man's,  with  the  keenest  relish;  inherit- 
ing the  earth  to  the  very  fulness  of  the  promise, 
though  never  leaving  her  crib,  nor  changing  her 
posture;  and  preserved  through  the  very  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death,  from  all  fear  or  im- 
patience, or  from  every  cloud  of  impaired 
reason,  which  might  mar  the  beauty  of  Christ's 
spirit's  glorious  work.  Thomas  Arnold. 


August  i6  229 

Whatsoever  a  man  soweth^  that  shall  he  also 
reap,  —  Gal.  vi.  7. 


The  life  above,  when  this  is  past, 
Is  the  ripe  fruit  of  life  below. 

Sow  love,  and  taste  its  fruitage  pure  ; 

Sow  peace,  and  reap  its  harvest  bright ; 
Sow  sunbeams  on  the  rock  and  moor. 

And  find  a  harvest-home  of  light. 

H.    BONAR. 


THE  dispositions,  affections,  inclinations  of 
soul,  which  shall  issue  hereafter  in  per- 
fection, must  be  trained  and  nurtured  in 
us  throughout  the  whole  course  of  this  earthly 
life.  When  shall  we  bear  in  mind  this  plain 
truth,  that  the  future  perfection  of  the  saints  is 
not  a  translation  from  one  state  or  disposition  of 
soul  into  another,  diverse  from  the  former;  but 
the  carrying  out,  and,  as  it  were,  the  blossom 
and  the  fruitage  of  one  and  the  same  principle 
of  spiritual  life,  which,  through  their  whole 
career  on  earth,  has  been  growing  with  an  even 
strength,  putting  itself  forth  in  the  beginnings 
and  promise  of  perfection,  reaching  upward 
with  steadfast  aspirations  after  perfect  holiness  ? 

H.  E.  Manning. 


230  August  17 

O  turn  unto  me^  and  have  mercy  upon  me ;  give 
Thy  strength  unto  Thy  servant,  and  save  the  son 
of  Thy  handmaid.  — Ps.  Ixxxvi.  16. 


Thou  art  my  King  — 

My  King  henceforth  alone  } 

And  I,  Thy  servant,  Lord,  am  all  Thine  own. 

Give  me  Thy  strength  ;  oh  !  let  Thy  dwelling  be 

In  this  poor  heart  that  pants,  my  Lord,  for  Thee  ! 

G.  Tersteegen. 


WHEN  it  is  the  one  ruling,  never-ceasing 
desire  of  our  hearts,  that  God  may  be 
the  beginning  and  end,  the  reason  and 
motive,  the  rule  and  measure,  of  our  doing  or 
not  doing,  from  morning  to  night ;  then  every- 
where, whether  speaking  or  silent,  whether  in- 
wardly or  outwardly  employed,  we  are  equally 
offered  up  to  the  eternal  Spirit,  have  our  life  in 
Him  and  from  Him,  and  are  united  to  Him  by 
that  Spirit  of  Prayer  which  is  the  comfort,  the 
support,  the  strength  and  security  of  the  soul, 
travelling,  by  the  help  of  God,  through  the  van- 
ity of  time  into  the  riches  of  eternity.  Let  us 
have  no  thought  or  care,  but  how  to  be  wholly 
His  devoted  instruments ;  everywhere,  and  in 
everything,  His  adoring,  joyful,  and  thankful 
servants. 

Wm.  Law. 


August  1 8  231 

Beloved^  if  our  heart  condemn  us  not^  then  have 
we  confidence  toward  God.  —  I  John  iii.  21. 


O  Lord,  how  happy  is  the  time 

When  in  Thy  love  I  rest  : 
When  from  my  weariness  I  climb 

E'en  to  Thy  tender  breast. 
The  night  of  sorrow  cndeth  there, 

Thy  rays  outshine  the  sun  ; 
And  in  Thy  pardon  and  Thy  care 

The  heaven  of  heavens  is  won. 

W.  C.  Dessler. 


NOTHING  doth  so  much  establish  the 
mind  amidst  the  rollings  and  turbulency 
of  present  things,  as  both  a  look  above 
them,  and  a  look  beyond  them ;  above  them  to 
the  good  and  steady  Hand  by  which  they  are 
ruled,  and  beyond  them  to  the  sweet  and  beauti- 
ful end  to  which,  by  that  Hand,  they  shall  be 
brought.  Study  pure  and  holy  walking,  if  you 
would  have  your  confidence  firm,  and  have  bold- 
ness and  joy  in  God.  You  will  find  that  a  little 
sin  will  shake  your  trust  and  disturb  your  peace 
more  than  the  greatest  sufferings  :  yea,  in  those 
sufferings,  your  assurance  and  joy  in  God  will 
grow  and  abound  most  if  sin  be  kept  out.  So 
much  sin  as  gets  in,  so  much  peace  will  go  out. 

R.  Leighton. 


2J2  August    19 

Teach  me   Thy  way^  O  Lord^  and  lead  me  in  a 
plain  path.  —  Ps.  xxvii.  1 1. 

Lead,  kindly  Light,  amid  the  encircling  gloom, 

Lead  Thou  me  on  ; 
The  night  is  dark,  and  I  am  far  from  home. 

Lead  Thou  me  on. 
Keep  Thou  my  feet ;  I  do  not  ask  to  see 
The  distant  scene  ;  one  step  enough  for  me. 

J.   H.   Newman. 

GOD  only  is  holy ;  He  alone  knows  how 
to  lead  His  children  in  the  paths  of  holi- 
ness. He  knows  every  aspect  of  your 
soul,  every  thought  of  your  heart,  every  secret 
of  your  character,  its  difficulties  and  hindrances ; 
He  knows  how  to  mould  you  to  His  will,  and 
lead  you  onwards  to  perfect  sanctification  ;  He 
knows  exactly  how  each  event,  each  trial,  each 
temptation,  will  tell  upon  you,  and  He  disposes 
all  things  accordingly.  The  consequences  of 
this  belief,  if  fully  grasped,  will  influence  youi 
whole  life.  You  will  seek  to  give  yourself  up 
to  God  more  and  more  unreservedly,  asking 
nothing,  refusing  nothing,  wishing  nothing,  but 
what  He  wills ;  not  seeking  to  bring  things 
about  for  yourself,  taking  all  He  sends  joyfully,' 
and  believing  the  "  one  step  "  set  before  you  to 
be  enough  for  you.  You  will  be  satisfied  that 
even  though  there  are  clouds  around,  and  your 
way  seems  dark,  He  is  directing  all,  and  that 
what  seems  a  hindrance  will  prove  a  blessing, 
since  H?  wills  it.  Jean  Nicolas  Grov. 


August  20  233 


Wait  on  the  Lord :  be  of  good  courage^  and 
shall  strengthen  thine  heart :  wait 
Lord.  —  Ps.  xxvii.  14. 


rage^  and  He  1 
/  say^  on  the  S 


He  giveth  power  to  the  fat  nt ;  and  to  them  that 
have  no  might  He  increaseth  strength. —  Isa.  xl.  29. 


Leaning  on  Him,  make  with  reverent  meekness 

His  own  thy  will, 
And  with  strength  from  Him  ^^hali  thy  utter  weakness 

Life's  task  fulfil. 

J.  G.  Whittier. 


SHOULD  we  feel  at  times  disheartened  and 
discouraged,  a  confiding  thought,  a  simple 
movement  of  heart  towards  God  will  re- 
new our  powers.     Whatever  He  may  demand 
of  us,  He  will  give  us  at  the  moment  the  strength 
and  the  courage  that  we  need. 

Francois  de  la  Mothe  Fenelon. 

We  require  a  certain  firmness  in  all  circum- 
stances of  life,  even  the  happiest,  and  perhaps 
contradictions  come  in  order  to  prove  and  exer- 
cise thisi  and,  if  we  can  only  determine  so  to 
use  them,  the  very  effort  brings  back  tranquillity 
to  the  soul,  which  always  enjoys  having  exercised 
its  strength  in  conformity  to  duty. 

Wm,  von  Hvmbq),pt. 


234  August  21 

We  then  that  are  strong  ought  to  bear  the  in-'^ 
Jirmities  of  the  weak^  and  not  to  please  ourselves.  — 
Rom.  XV.  I. 

The  Lord  God  hath  given  me  the  tongue  of  the 
learned^  that  I  should  know  how  to  speak  a  word 
in  season  to  him  that  is  weary.  —  Isa.  1.  4. 

If  there  be  some  weaker  one, 
Give  me  strength  to  help  him  on  $ 
If  a  blinder  soul  there  be, 
Let  me  guide  him  nearer  Thee. 

J.  G.  Whittier, 

ASK  Him  to  increase  your  povi^ers  of  sym- 
pathy :  to  give  you  more  quickness  and 
depth  of  sympathy,  in  little  things  as  well 
as  great.  Opportunities  of  doing  a  kindness 
are-  often  lost  from  mere  want  of  thought. 
Half  a  dozen  lines  of  kindness  may  bring  sun- 
shine into  the  whole  day  of  some  sick  person. 
Think  of  the  pleasure  you  might  give  to  some 
one  who  is  much  shut  up,  and  who  has  fewer 
pleasures  than  you  have,  by  sharing  with  her 
some  little  comfort  or  enjoyment  that  you  have 
learnt  to  look  upon  as  a  necessary  of  life,  —  the 
pleasant  drive,  the  new  book,  flowers  from  the 
country,  etc.  Try  to  put  yourself  in  another's 
place.  Ask  "  What  should  I  like  myself,  if  I 
were  hard-worked,  or  sick,  or  lonely  ?  "  Culti- 
vate the  habit  of  sympathy. 

G.  H.  Wilkinson. 


August  22  235 


/  beseech  you  therefore^  brethren^  by  the  mercies 

0f  God^  that  ye  present  your  bodies  a  living  sacrifice^ 
holy,  acceptable  unto  God,  which  is  your  reasonable 
service.  —  Rom.  xii.  i. 


Thou  liast  my  flesh.  Thy  hallowed  shrine. 

Devoted  solely  to  Thy  will  ; 
Here  let  Thy  light  forever  shine. 

This  house  still  let  Thy  presence  fill  } 
O  Source  of  Life,  live,  dwell,  and  move 
In  me,  till  all  my  life  be  love  ! 

Joachim  LANat. 


MAY  it  not  be  a  comfort  to  those  of  us 
who  feel  we  have  not  the  mental  or 
spiritual  power  that  others  have,  to 
notice  that  the  living  sacrifice  mentioned  in 
Rom.  xii.  i,  is  our  "bodies  "  ?  Of  course,  that 
includes  the  mental  power,  but  does  it  not  also 
include  the  loving,  sympathizing  glance,  the 
kind,  encouraging  word,  the  ready  errand  for 
another,  the  work  of  our  hands,  opportunities  for 
all  of  which  come  oftener  in  the  day  than  foi 
the  mental  power  we  are  often  tempted  to  envy  ? 
May  we  be  enabled  to  offer  willingly  that  which 
\ire  hav& 

Amon, 


236  August  23 

Seekest  thou  great  things  for  thyself?  seek  them 
not.  —  Jer.  xlv.  5. 


I  WOULD  not  have  the  restless  will 

That  hurries  to  and  fro, 
Seeking  for  some  great  thing  to  do. 

Or  secret  thing  to  know  ; 
I  would  be  treated  as  a  child, 

And  guided  where  I  go. 

A.  L.  Waring. 


OH  !  be  little,  be  little  •,  and  then  thou  wilt 
be  content  with  little ;  and  if  thou  feel, 
now  and  then,  a  check  or  a  secret  smit- 
ing, —  in  that  is  the  Father's  love ;  be  not  over- 
wise,  nor  over-eager,  in  thy  own  willing,  running, 
and  desiring,  and  thou  mayest  feel  it  so ;  and  by 
degrees  come  to  the  knowledge  of  thy  Guide, 
who  will  lead  thee,  step  by  step,  in  the  path  of 
life,  and  teach  thee  to  follow.  Be  still,  and 
wait  for  light  and  strength. 

I.  Penington. 


Sink  into  the  sweet  and  blessed  littleness, 
where  thou  livest  by  grace  alone.  Contemplate 
with  delight  the  holiness  and  goodness  in  God, 
which  thou  dost  not  find  in  thyself.  How 
Ipvel^   it  is  to  be  nothing  when  God  is  all ! 

G.  Tersteegew, 


August  24  237 


And  that  which  fell  among  thorns  are  they^ 
wh'tch^  when  they  have  heardy  go  forth^  and  are 
choked  with  cares^  and  riches  and  pleasures  of  this 
lifty  and  bring  no  fruit  to  perfection.  —  LuKE 
viii.  14. 


Preserve  me  from  my  calling's  snare. 
And  hide  my  simple  heart  above, 

Above  the  thorns  of  choking  care, 
The  gilded  baits  of  worldly  love. 

C.  Wesley. 


ANYTHING  allowed  in  the  heart  which 
is  contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  let  it  seem 
ever  so  insignificant,  or  be  ever  so  deeply 
hidden,  will  cause  us  to  fall  before  our  enemies. 
Any  root  of  bitterness  cherished  towards  another, 
any  self-seeking,  any  harsh  judgments  indulged 
in,  any  slackness  in  obeying  the  voice  of  the 
Lord,  any  doubtful  habits  or  surroundings,  any 
one  of  these  things  will  effectually  cripple  and 
paralyze  our  spiritual  life.  I  believe  our  blessed 
Guide,  the  indwelling  Holy  Spirit,  is  always 
secretly  discovering  these  things  to  us  by  con- 
tinual little  twinges  and  pangs  of  conscience,  so 
that  we  are  left  without  excuse. 

H.  W.  Smith. 


238  August  25 

See  that  ye  refuse  not  Him  that  speaketh,  — 
Heb.  xii.  25. 

From  the  world  of  sin  and  noise 

And  hurry  I  withdraw  ; 
For  the  small  and  inward  voice 

I  wait  with  humble  awe  ; 
Silent  am  I  now  and  still, 

Dare  not  In  Thy  presence  move  ; 
To  my  waiting  soul  reveal 

The  secret  of  Thy  love. 

C.  Weslev 

WHEN  therefore  the  smallest  instinct  or 
desire  of  thy  heart  calleth  thee  towards 
God,  and  a  newness  of  life,  give  it  time 
and  leave  to  speak ;  and  take  care  thou  refuse 
not  Him  that  speaketh.  Be  retired,  silent,  pas- 
sive, and  humbly  attentive  to  this  new  risen  light 
within  thee. 

Wm.  Law. 


It  is  hardly  to  be  wondered  at  that  he  should 
lose  the  finer  consciousness  of  higher  powers  and 
deeper  feelings,  not  from  any  behavior  in  itself 
wrong,  but  from  the  hurry,  noise,  and  tumult  in 
the  streets  of  life,  that,  penetrating  too  deep  into 
the  house  of  life,  dazed  and  stupefied  the  silent 
and  lonely  watcher  in  the  chamber  of  conscience, 
far  apart.     He  had  no  time  to  think  or  feel. 

G.   Macponald. 


August  26  239 

Be  silent^  O  alljiesh^  befort  the  Lord.  —  Zech 
ii.  13. 

Be  earth,  with  all  her  scenes,  withdrawn  { 

Let  noise  and  vanity  be  gone  : 

In  secret  silence  of  the  mind. 

My  heaven,  and  there  my  God,  I  find. 

I.  Watts. 

IT  is  only  with  the  pious  affection  of  the  will 
that  we  can  be  spiritually  attentive  to  God. 
As   long  as  the    noisy    restlessness    of  the 
thoughts  goes  on,  the  gentle  and  holy  desires  of 
the  new  nature  are  overpowered  and  inactive. 

J.   P.  Greaves. 

There  is  hardly  ever  a  complete  silence  in 
our  soul.  God  is  whispering  to  us  wellnigh  in- 
cessantly. Whenever  the  sounds  of  the  world 
die  out  in  the  soul,  or  sink  low,  then  we  hear 
these  whisperings  of  God.  He  is  always  whis- 
pering to  us,  only  we  do  not  always  hear,  be- 
cause of  the  noise,  hurry,  and  distraction  which 
life  causes  as  it  rushes  on.  F.  W.  Faber. 

The  prayer  of  faith  is  a  sincere,  sweet,  and 
quiet  view  of  divine,  eternal  truth.  The  soul 
rests  quiet,  perceiving  and  loving  God ;  sweetly 
rejecting  all  the  imaginations  that  present  them- 
selves, calming  the  mind  in  the  Divine  presence, 
and  fixing  it  only  on  God.  M.  de  Molinos. 


240  August  27 

Being  confident  of  this  very  things  that  He  which 
hath  begun  a  good  work  in  you  will  perfoi  m  it.  — 
Phil.  i.  6. 

He  that  endureth  to  the  end  shall  he  saved*  — 
Matt.  x.  22. 

Fill  with  inviolable  peace  j 

Stablish  and  keep  my  settled  heart ; 

In  Thee  may  all  my  wanderings  cease, 
From  Thee  no  more  may  I  depart  : 

Thy  utmost  goodness  called  to  prove, 

Loved  with  an  everlasting  love  !  C.  Wesley. 

IF  any  sincere  Christian  cast  himself  with  his 
whole  will  upon  the  Divine  Presence  which 
dwells  within  him,  he  shall  be  kept  safe  unto 
the  end.  What  is  it  that  makes  us  unable  to 
persevere  ?  Is  it  want  of  strength  ?  By  no 
means.  We  have  with  us  the  strength  of  the 
Holy  Spirit.  When  did  we  ever  set  ourselves 
sincerely  to  any  work  according  to  the  will  of 
God,  and  fail  for  want  of  strength  \  It  was  not 
that  strength  failed  the  will,  but  that  the  will 
failed  first.  If  we  could  but  embrace  the  Divine 
will  with  the  whole  love  of  ours  ;  cleaving  to  it, 
and  holding  fast  by  it,  we  should  be  borne  along 
as  upon  "  the  river  of  the  water  of  life."  We 
open  only  certain  chambers  of  our  will  to  the 
influence  of  the  Divine  will.  We  are  afraid 
of  being  wholly  absorbed  into  it.  And  yet,  if 
we  would  have  peace,  we  must  be  altogether 
united  to  Him.  H.  E.  Manning 


August  28  24 1 

They  that  knoiv  Thy  name  will  put  their  trust 
in  Thee  :  for  Thou^  Lord^  hast  not  forsaken  them 
that  seek  Thee.  —  Ps.  ix.  10. 

Tea^  the  Lord  shall  give  that  which  is  good.  — 
Ps.  Ixxxv.  12. 


In  Thee  I  place  my  trust, 

On  Thee  I  calmly  rest ; 
I  know  Thee  good,  I  know  Thee  just, 

And  count  Thy  choice  the  best. 

H.  F.  Lyte. 


THE  souls  that  would  really  be  richer  in 
duty  in  some  new  position,  are  precisely 
those  who  borrow  no  excuses  from  thei 
old  one  ;  who  even  esteem  it  full  of  privileges, 
plenteous  in  occasions  of  good,  frequent  in 
divine  appeals,  which  they  chide  their  graceless 
and  unloving  temper  for  not  heeding  more. 
Wretched  and  barren  is  the  discontent  that" 
quarrels  with  its  tools  instead  of  with  its  skill  j 
and,  by  criticising  Providence,  manages  to  keep 
up  complacency  with  self.  How  gentle  should 
we  be,  if  we  were  not  provoked ;  how  pious,  if 
we  were  not  busy ;  the  sick  would  be  patient, 
only  he  is  not  in  health  ;  the  obscure  would  do 
great  things,  only  he  is  not  conspicuous  ! 

J.   Martineau, 

16 


242  August  29 

Am  1  TWf  brother's  keeper?  —  Gen.  iv.  9. 


Because  I  held  upon  my  selfish  road, 
And  left  my  brother  wounded  by  the  way, 
And  called  ambition  duty,  and  pressed  on  — 
O  Lord,  I  do  repent. 

Sarah  Williams. 


HOW  many  are  the  sufferers  who  have 
fallen  amongst  misfortunes  along  the 
wayside  of  life  !  "  By  chance"  we 
come  that  way  ;  chance,  accident,  Providence, 
has  thrown  them  in  our  way  ;  we  see  them  from 
a  distance,  like  the  Priest,  or  we  come  upon 
them  suddenly,  like  the  Levite ;  our  business, 
our  pleasure,  is  interrupted  by  the  sight,  is 
troubled  by  the  delay  ;  what  are  our  feelings, 
what  our  actions  towards  them  ?  "  Who  is 
thy  neighbor  ? "  It  is  the  sufferer,  wherever, 
whoever,  whatsoever  he  be.  Wherever  thou 
hearest  the  cry  of  distress,  wherever  thou  seest 
any  one  brought  across  thy  path  by  the  chances 
and  changes  of  life  (that  is,  by  the  Providence 
of  God),  whom  it  is  in  thy  power  to  help, — 
he,  stranger  or  enemy  though  he  be, —  he  is  thy 
neighbor. 

A.   P.  Stanley. 


August  30  243 

Walk  worthy  of  the  vocation  wherewith  ye  are 
called^  with  all  lowliness  and  meekness^  with  long- 
sufferings  forbearing  one  another  in  love.  —  Eph. 
iv.  I,  2. 

Help  us,  O  Lord,  with  patient  love  to  bear 

Each  other's  faults,  to  suffer  with  true  meekness  j 

Help  us  each  other's  joys  and  griefs  to  share. 
But  let  us  turn  to  Thee  alone  in  weakness. 

Anon. 

YOU  should  make  a  special  point  of  asking 
God  every  morning  to  give  you,  before 
all  else,  that  true  spirit  of  meekness  which 
He  would  have  His  children  possess.  You 
must  also  make  a  firm  resolution  to  practise 
yourself  in  this  virtue,  especially  in  your  inter- 
course with  those  persons  to  whom  you  chiefly 
owe  it.  You  must  make  it  your  main  object  to 
conquer  yourself  in  this  matter  ;  call  it  to  mind 
a  hundred  times  during  the  day,  commending 
your  efforts  to  God.  It  seems  to  me  that  no 
more  than  this  is  needed  in  order  to  subject 
your  soul  entirely  to  His  will,  and  then  you  will 
become  more  gentle  day  by  day,  trusting  wholly 
in  His  goodness.  You  will  be  very  happy,  my 
dearest  child,  if  you  can  do  this,  for  God  will 
dwell  in  your  heart ;  and  where  He  reigns  all  is 
peace.  But  if  you  should  fail,  and  commit, 
some  of  your  old  faults,  do  not  be  disheartened, 
but  rise  up  and  go  on  again,  as  though  you  had 
not  fallen.  St.  Francis  de  Sales 


244  August  31 

Nmv  therefore  keep  thy  sorrow  to  thyself,  and 
bear  with  a  good  courage  that  which  hath  befallen 
thee.  —  2  EsDRAS  x.  15. 


Go,  bury  thy  sorrow, 

The  world  hath  its  share  ; 
Go,  bury  it  deeply, 

Go,  hide  it  with  care. 
Go,  bury  thy  sorrow, 

Let  others  be  blest ; 
Go,  give  them  the  sunshine, 

And  tell  God  the  rest. 

Anos. 


OUR  veiled  and  terrible  guest  [Trouble] 
brings  for  us,  if  we  will  accept  it,  the 
boon  of  fortitude,  patience,  self-control, 
wisdom,  sympathy,  faith.  If  we  reject  that, 
then  we  find  in  our  hands  the  other  gift, — 
cowardice,  weakness,  isolation,  despair.  If 
your  trouble  seems  to  have  in  it  no  other  pos- 
sibility of  good,  at  least  set  yourself  to  bear  it 
like  a  man.  Let  none  of  its  weight  come  on 
other  shoulders.  Try  to  carry  it  so  that  no  one 
shall  even  see  it.  Though  your  heart  be  sad 
within,  let  cheer  go  out  from  you  to  others. 
Meet  them  with  a  kindly  presence,  considerate 
words,  helpful  acts. 

G.  S.  Merriam. 


September  i  245 


Let  them  that  suffer  according  to  the  will  of  God 
commit  the  keeping  of  their  souls  to  Him  in  well- 
doings as  unto  a  faithful  Creator.  —  i  Peter  iv.  1 9. 

The  Lord  is  very  pitiful,  and  of  tender  mercy, 
—  James  v.  ii. 


On  Thy  compassion  I  repose 

In  weakness  and  distress  : 
I  will  not  ask  for  greater  ease. 

Lest  I  should  love  Thee  less ; 
Oh,  't  is  a  blessed  thing  for  me 

To  need  Thy  tenderness. 

A.-  L.  Waring. 


OH,  look  not  at  thy  pain  or  sorrow,  how 
great  soever ;  but  look  from  them,  look 
ofF  them,  look  beyond  them,  to  the  De- 
liverer !  whose  power  is  over  them,  and  whose 
loving,  wise,  and  tender  spirit  is  able  to  do  thee 
good  by  them.  The  Lord  lead  thee,  day  by 
day,  in  the  right  way,  and  keep  thy  mind  stayed 
upon  Him,  in  whatever  befalls  thee ;  that  the 
belief  of  His  love  and  hope  in  His  mercy,  when 
thou  art  at  the  lowest  ebb,  may  keep  up  thy 
head  above  the  billows. 

Isaac  Pcnington. 


246  September  2 

Blessed  are  the  peacemakers :  for  they  shall  ht 
lalled  the  children  of  God.  —  Matt.  v.  6. 

^jRANT  US  Thy  peace,  down  from  Thy  presence  falling, 
As  on  the  thirsty  earth  cool  night-dews  sweet ; 

Grant  us  Thy  peace,  to  Thy  pure  paths  recalling, 
From  devious  ways,  our  worn  and  wandering  feet. 

E.    SCUDDER. 

OGOD,  who  art  Peace  everlasting,  whose 
chosen  reward  is  the  gift  of  peace,  and 
who  hast  taught  us  that  the  peacemakers 
are  Thy  children,  pour  Thy  sweet  peace  into 
our  souls,  that  everything  discordant  may  utterly 
vanish,  and  all  that  makes  for  peace  be  sweet 
to  us  forever.     Amen. 

Gelasian  Sacramentary,  a.  d.    492. 

Have  you  ever  thought  seriously  of  the  mean- 
ing of  that  blessing  given  to  the  peacemakers  ? 
People  are  always  expecting  to  get  peace  in 
heaven  ;  but  you  know  whatever  peace  they  get 
there  will  be  ready-made.  Whatever  making  of 
peace  they  can  be  blest  for,  must  be  on  the  earth 
here :  not  the  taking  of  arms  against,  but  the 
building  of  nests  amidst,  its  "sea  of  troubles" 
[like  the  halcyons] .  Difficult  enough,  you 
think  ?  Perhaps  so,  but  I  do  not  see  that  any 
of  us  try.  We  complain  of  the  want  of  many 
things  —  we  want  votes,  we  want  liberty,  we 
want  amusement,  we  want  money.  Which  of 
us  feels  or  knows  that  he  wants  peace  ? 

J.     RuSKIN. 


September  3  247 

The  eyes  of  all  wait  upon  Thee  ;  and  Thou  giv" 
est  them  their  meat  in  due  season.  —  Ps.  cxlv.  15 


What  time  I  am  'afraid^  I  will  trust  in  Thee. 
■Ps.  Ivi.  3. 


Late  on  me,  weeping,  did  this  whisper  fall  ; 

"  Dear  child,  there  is  no  need  to  weep  at  all  ! 

Why  go  about  to  grieve  and  to  despair  ? 

Why  weep  now  through  thy  Future's  eyes,  and  bear 

In  vain  to-day  to-morrow's  load  of  care  ?  " 

H.  S.  Sutton. 


THE  crosses  of  the  present  moment  always 
bring  their  own  special  grace  and  conse- 
quent comfort  with  them  ;  we  see  the 
hand  of  God  in  them  when  it  is  laid  upon  us. 
But  the  crosses  of  anxious  foreboding  are  seen 
out  of  the  dispensation  of  God  ;  we  see  them 
without  grace  to  bear  them  ;  we  see  them  indeed 
through  a  faithless  spirit  which  banishes  grace. 
So,  everything  in  them  is  bitter  and  unendur- 
able; all  seems  dark  and  helpless.  Let  us 
throw  self  aside  ;  no  more  self-interest,  and  then 
God's  will,  unfolding  every  moment  in  every- 
thing, will  console  us  also  every  moment  for  all 
that  Me  shall  do  around  us,  or  within  us,  for 
our  discipline. 

FRAN9OIS    DE    LA     MOTHE    FeNELGN. 


248  September  4 

His  delight  is  in  the  law  of  the  Lord.  And  he 
shall  be  like  a  tree  planted  by  the  rivers  of  water ^ 
that  bringeth  forth  his  fruit  in  his  season  ;  his  leaf 
also  shall  not  wither ;  and  whatsoever  he  doeth 
shall  prosper.  —  Ps.  i.  2,  3. 

The  wind  that  blows  can  never  kill 

The  tree  God  plants  ; 
It  bloweth  east  ;  it  bloweth  west  ; 
The  tender  leaves  have  little  rest, 
But  any  wind  that  blows  is  best. 

The  tree  God  plants 
Strikes  deeper  root,  grows  higher  still, 
Spreads  wider  boughs,  for  God's  good-will 

Meets  all  its  wants. 

LiLLiE  E.    Barr 

IT  is  a  fatal  mistake  to  suppose  that  we  can* 
not  be  holy  except  on  the  condition  of  a 
situation  and  circumstances  in  life  such  as 
shall  suit  ourselves.  It  is  one  of  the  first  prin- 
ciples of  holiness  to  leave  our  times  and  our 
places,  our  going  out  and  our  coming  in,  our 
wasted  and  our  goodly  heritage  entirely  with  the 
Lord.  Here,  O  Lord,  hast  Thou  placed  us, 
and  we  will  glorify  Thee  here  ! 

T.  C.   Upham. 

It  is  not  by  change  of  circumstances,  but  by 
fitting  our  spirits  to  the  circumstances  in  which 
God  has  placed  us,  that  we  can  be  reconciled  to 
Ufe  and  duty.  F.  W.  Robertson. 


September  5  249 


O  Lord^  I  am  oppressed;  undertake  for  trie. — 
IsA.  xxxviii.  14. 


Being  perplexed,  I  say, 
Lord,  make  it  right  ! 
Night  is  as  day  to  Thee, 

Darkness  is  light. 
I  am  afraid  to  touch 
Things  that  involve  so  much  ;  — 

My  trembling  hand  may  shake, 
My  skill-less  hand  may  break  : 
Thine  can  make  no  mistake. 

Anna  B.   Warner. 


THE  many  troubles  in  your  household  will 
tend  to  your  edification,  if  you  strive  to 
bear  them  all  in  gentleness,  patience,  and 
kindness.  Keep  this  ever  before  you,  and  re- 
member constantly  that  God's  loving  eyes  are 
upon  you  amid  all  these  little  v^^orries  and  vex- 
ations, watching  whether  you  take  them  as  He 
would  desire.  OfFer  up  all  such  occasions  tO( 
Him,  and  if  sometimes  you  are  put  out,  and 
give  way  to  impatience,  do  not  be  discouraged,' 
but  make  haste  to  regain  your  lost  composure. 

St.  Francis  de  Sales. 


250  September  6 

(^  If  any  man  will  come  after  me^  let  him  deny 
1  himself  and  take  up  his  cross  daily ^  and  follow  me. 
1  — Luke  ix.  23. 

^    There  lies  thy  cross ;  beneath  it  meekly  bow  ; 

^         It  fits  thy  stature  now  ; 

L    Who  scornful  pass  it  with  averted  eye, 

J         'T  will  crush  them  by  and  jjy. 

J.  Keble. 

TO  take  up  the  cross  of  Christ  is  no  great 
action  done  once  for  all ;  it  consists  in 
the   continual    practice    of   small    duties 
which   are  distasteful  to  us.  J.  H.  Newman. 

On  one  occasion  an  intimate  friend  of  his 
was  fretting  somewhat  at  not  being  able  to  put 
a  cross  on  the  grave  of  a  relation,  because  the 
rest  of  the  family  disliked  it.  "  Don't  you  see," 
he  said  to  her,  "  that  by  giving  up  your  own 
way,  you  will  be  virtually  putting  a  cross  on  the 
grave  ?  You  '11  have  it  in  its  effect.  The  one 
is  but  a  stone  cross,  the  other  is  a  true  spiritual 
cross."  Life  of  James  Hinton. 

I  WOULD  have  you,  one  by  one,  ask  your- 
selves, Wherein  do  I  take  up  the  cross  daily  ? 

E.    B.    PUSEY. 

Every  morning,  receive  thine  own  special 
cross  from  the  hands  of  thy  heavenly  Father. 

L.    ScUPOLI. 


September  7  251 

Pure  religion  and  undefiled  before  God  and  the 
Father  is  this^  To  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows 
in  their  affliction^  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted 
from  the  world. — James  i.  27. 


Not  to  ease  and  aimless  quiet 

Doth  that  inward  answer  tend, 
But  to  works  of  love  and  duty 

As  our  being's  end. 

J.  G.  Whittier. 


IT  is  surprising  how  practical  duty  enriches 
the  fancy  and  the  heart,  and  action  clears 
and  deepens  the  affections.  Indeed,  no  one 
can  have  a  true  idea  of  right,  until  he  does  it ; 
any  genuine  reverence  for  it,  till  he  has  done  it 
often  and  with  cost ;  any  peace  ineffable  in  it, 
till  he  does  it  always  and  with  alacrity.  Does 
any  one  complain,  that  the  best  affections  are 
transient  visitors  with  him,  and  the  heavenly 
spirit  a  stranger  to  his  heart  ?  Oh,  let  him  not 
go  forth,  on  any  strained  wing  of  thought,  in 
distant  quest  of  them ;  but  rather  stay  at  home, 
and  set  his  house  in  the  true  order  of  conscience ; 
and  of  their  own  accord  the  divinest  guests  will 
enter. 

J.  Martineau 


252  September  8 

Continue  in  prayer^  and  watch  in  the  same  with 
thanksgiving.  —  CoL.  iv.   2. 


men 


Watch  ye^  stand  fast  in  the  faith,  quit  you  like 
,  be  strong.  —  i  CoR.  xvi.  13. 


We  kneel  how  weak,  we  rise  how  full  of  power. 
Why  therefore  should  we  do  ourselves  this  wrong, 
Or  others  —  that  we  are  not  always  strong, 
That  we  are  ever  overborne  with  care. 
That  we  should  ever  weak  or  heartless  be, 
Anxious  or  troubled,  when  with  us  is  prayer, 
And  joy  and  strength  and  courage  are  with  Thee  ? 

R.  C.  Trench. 


IT  is  impossible  for  us  to  make  the  duties  of 
our  lot  minister  to  our  sanctification  without 
a  habit  of  devout  fellowship  with  God. 
This  is  the  spring  of  all  our  life,  and  the  strength 
of  it.  It  is  prayer,  meditation,  and  converse 
with  God,  that  refreshes,  restores,  and  renews 
the  temper  of  our  minds,  at  all  times,  under  all 
trials,  after  all  conflicts  with  the  world.  By 
this  contact  with  the  world  unseen  we  receive 
continual  accesses  of  strength.  As  our  day,  so 
is  our  strength.  Without  this  healing  and  re- 
freshing of  spirit,  duties  grow  to  be  burdens, 
the  events  of  life  chafe  our  temper,  employments 
lower  the  tone  of  our  minds,  and  we  become 
fretful,  irritable,  and  impatient. 

H.   E.   Manning. 


September  9  253 

This  is  a  faithful  sayings  and  these  things  I  will 
that  thou  affirm  constantly^  that  they  which  have 
believed  in  God  might  be  careful  to  maintain  good 
works.  —  Titus  iii.  8. 

Faith's  meanest  deed  more  favor  bears 
Where  hearts  and  wills  are  weighed. 

Than  brightest  transports,  choicest  prayers. 
Which  bloom  their  hour  and  fade. 

J.  H.  NewmaM. 

ONE  secret  act  of  self-denial,  one  sacrifice 
of  inclination    to  duty,  is  worth  all  the 
mere  good  thoughts,  warm  feelings,  pas- 
sionate  prayers,   in   which    idle   people   indulge 
themselves.  J.  H.   Newman. 

It  is  impossible  for  us  to  live  in  fellowship 
with  God  without  holiness  in  all  the  duties  of 
life.  These  things  act  and  react  on  each  other. 
Without  a  diligent  and  faithful  obedience  to  the 
calls  and  claims  of  others  upon  us,  our  religious 
profession  is  simply  dead.  To  disobey  con- 
science when  it  points  to  relative  duties  irritates 
the  whole  temper,  and  quenches  the  first  begin- 
nings of  devotion.  We  cannot  go  from  strife, 
breaches,  and  angry  words,  to  God.  Selfishness, 
an  imperious  will,  want  of  sympathy  with  the 
sufferings  and  sorrows  of  other  men,  neglect  of 
charitable  offices,  suspicions,  hard  censures  of 
those  with  whom  our  lot  is  cast,  will  miserably 
darken  our  own  hearts,  and  hide  the  face  of 
God  from  us.  H.  £.  Manning. 


254  September  lo 

Lord^  not  my  feet  only,  but  also  my  hands  and 
my  head.  —  John  xiii.  9. 

Take  my  hands,  and  let  them  move 
At  the  impulse  of  Thy  love. 

Take  my  feet,  and  let  them  be 
Swift  and  "  beautiful  "  for  Thee. 

Take  my  intellect,  and  use 
Every  power  as  Thou  shalt  choose. 

F.  R.  Havergal. 

IF  a  man  may  attain  thereunto,  to  be  unto 
God  as  his  hand  is  to  a  man,  let  him  be 
therewith  content,  and  not  seek  further. 
That  is  to  say,  let  him  strive  and  wrestle  with 
all  his  might  to  obey  God  and  His  command- 
ments so  thoroughly  at  all  times,  and  in  all 
things,  that  in  him  there  be  nothing,  spiritual  or 
natural,  which  opposeth  God  ;  and  that  his  whole 
soul  and  body,  with  all  their  members,  may 
stand  ready  and  willing  for  that  to  which  God 
hath  created  them  j  as  ready  and  willing  as  his 
hand  is  to  a  man,  which  is  so  wholly  in  his 
power,  that  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye,  he 
moveth  and  turneth  it  whither  he  will.  And 
when  we  find  it  otherwise  with  us,  we  must 
give  our  whole  diligence  to  amend  our  state. 

Theologia  Germanica. 

When  the  mind  thinks  nothing,  when  the 
soul  covets  nothing,  and  the  body  acteth  nothing 
that  is  contrary  to  the  will  of  God,  this  is  perfect 
sanctification.      Anonymous,  in  an  old  Bible,  1599. 


September  ii  255 

Thy  kingdom  come.  —  Matt.  vi.  lo. 


The  kingdom  of  established  peace, 

Which  can  no  more  remove  j 
The  perfect  powers  of  godliness, 

The  omnipotence  of  love. 

C.  Wesley. 


MY  child,  thou  mayest  not  measure  out 
thine  offering  unto  me  by  what  others 
have  done  or  left  undone;  but  be  it 
thine  to  seek  out,  even  to  the  last  moment  of 
thine  earthly  life,  what  is  the  utmost  height  of 
pure  devotion  to  which  I  have  called  thine  own 
self.  Remember  that,  if  thou  fall  short  of  this, 
each  time  thou  utterest  in  prayer  the  words, 
"  Hallowed  be  Thy  name.  Thy  kingdom  come," 
thou  dost  most  fearfully  condemn  thyself,  for 
is  it  not  a  mockery  to  ask  for  that  thou  wilt  not 
seek  to  promote  even  unto  the  uttermost,  within 
the  narrow  compass  of  thine  own  heart  and 
spirit  ? 

The  Divine  Master. 

If  you  do  not  wish  for  His  kingdom,  don't 
pray  for  it.  But  if  you  do,  you  must  do  more 
than  pray  for  it  j  you  must  work  for  it. 

J.     RusKINi 


2^6  September  12 

She  obeyed  not  the  voice ; .  she  received  not  correc- 
tion y  she  trusted  not  In  the  Lord-,  she  drew  not 
near  to  h.^  God.  —  Zeph.  iii.  2. 

Oh  !  let  us  not  this  thought  allow  ; 
The  heat,  the  dust  upon  our  brow, 
Signs  of  the  contest,  we  may  wear ; 
Yet  thus  we  shall  appear  more  fair 

In  our  Almighty  Master's  eye, 
Than  if  in  fear  to  lose  the  bloom, 
Or  ruffle  the  soul's  lightest  plume, 

We  from  the  strife  should  fly. 

R.  C.   Trench. 

IF  God  requires  anything  of  us,  we  have  no 
right  to  draw  back  under  the  pretext  that  we 
are  liable  to  commit  some  fault  in  obeying. 
It  is  better  to  obey  imperfectly  than  not  at  all. 
Perhaps  you  ought  to  rebuke  some  one  de- 
pendent on  you,  but  you  are  silent  for  fear  of 
giving  way  to  vehemence;  —  or  you  avoid  the 
society  of  certain  persons,  because  they  make 
you  cross  and  impatient.  How  are  you  to  attain 
self-control,  if  you  shun  all  occasions  of  practis- 
ing it  ?  Is  not  such  self-choosing  a  greater 
fault  than  those  into  which  you  fear  to  fall  r 
Aim  at  a  steady  mind  to  do  right,  go  whereve«* 
duty  calls  you,  and  believe  firmly  that  God  will 
forgive  the  faults  that  take  our  weakness  by 
surprise  in  spite  of  our  sincere  desire  to  please 
Him. 

Jean  Nicolas  Grou. 


September  13  257 

//  is  good  that  a  man  should  both  hope  and  quietly 
wait  for  the  salvation  of  the  Lord.  —  Lam.  iii.  26. 

Truly  my  soul  waiteth  upon   God :  from   Him 
Cometh  my  salvation.  —  Ps.  Ixii.  i. 


Not  so  in  haste,  my  heart  ; 

Have  faith  in  God,  and  wait  { 
Although  He  linger  long, 
'     He  never  conies  too  late. 


Anon. 


THE  true  use  to  be  made  of  all  the  imper- 
fections of  which  you  are  conscious  is 
neither  to  justify,  nor  to  condemn  them, 
but  to  present  them  before  God,  conforming 
your  will  to  His,  and  remaining  in  peace ;  for 
peace  is  the  divine  order,  in  whatever  state  we 
may  be. 

FRAN9OIS    DE    LA    MOTHE    FeNELON. 

You  will  find  it  less  easy  to  uproot  faults, 
than  to  choke  them  by  gaining  virtues.  Do 
not  think  of  your  faults ;  still  less  of  others' 
faults ;  in  every  person  who  comes  near  you 
look  for  what  is  good  and  strong  :  honor  that ; 
rejoice  in  it ;  and,  as  you  can,  try  to  imitate  it; 
and  your  faults  will  drop  off,  like  dead  leaves, 
when  their  time  comes. 

J.   RUSKIN, 

«7 


258  September  14 

Call  unto  me^  and  I  will  answer  thee^  and  show 
thee  great  and  mighty  things  which  thou  knowest 
not.  —  Jer.  xxxiii.  3. 

And  I  have  also  given  thee  that  which  thou  hast 
not  asked.  —  i  Kings  iii.  13. 

No  voice  of  prayer  to  Thee  can  rise, 
But  swift  as  light  Thy  Love  replies  j 
Not  always  what  we  ask,  indeed. 
But,  O  most  Kind  !  what  most  we  need. 

H.   M.   Kimball. 

IF  you  have  any  trial  which  seems  intolerable, 
pray,  —  pray  that  it  be  relieved  or  changed. 
There  is  no  harm  in  that.  We  may  pray 
for  anything,  not  wrong  in  itself,  with  perfect 
freedom,  if  we  do  not  pray  selfishly.  One  dis- 
abled from  duty  by  sickness  may  pray  for  health, 
that  he  may  do  his  work ;  or  one  hemmed  in 
by  internal  impediments  may  pray  for  utterance, 
that  he  may  serve  better  the  truth  and  the  right. 
Or,  if  we  have  a  besetting  sin,  we  may  pray  to 
be  delivered  from  it,  in  order  to  serve  God  and 
man,  and  not  be  ourselves  Satans  to  mislead  and 
destroy.  But  the  answer  to  the  prayer  may  be, 
as  it  was  to  Paul,  not  the  removal  of  the  thorn, 
but,  instead,  a  growing  insight  into  its  meaning 
and  value.  The  voice  of  God  in  our  soul  may 
show  us,  as  we  look  up  to  Him,  that  His 
strength   is  enough  to  enable  us  to  bear  it. 

J,  F.  Clarke. 


September  15  259 

Can  ye  drink  of  the  cup  that  I  drink  off  and  bt 
baptized  with  the  baptism  that  I  am  baptized  with  ? 
—  Mark  x.  38. 

Whate'er  my  God  ordains  is  right } 

Though  I  the  cup  must  drink 
That  bitter  seems  to  my  faint  heart, 

I  will  not  fear,  nor  shrink.         S.   RodigaST. 

THE  worst  part  of  martyrdom  is  not  the 
last  agonizing  moment ;  it  is  the  wearing, 
daily  steadfastness.  Men  who  can  make 
up  their  minds  to  hold  out  against  the  torture  of 
an  hour  have  sunk  under  the  weariness  and  the 
harass  of  small  prolonged  vexations.  And  there 
are  many  Christians  who  have  the  weight  of 
some  deep,  incommunicable  grief  pressing,  cold 
as  ice,  upon  their  hearts.  To  bear  that  cheer- 
fully and  manfully  is  to  be  a  martyr.  There  is 
many  a  Christian  bereaved  and  stricken  in  the 
best  hopes  of  life.  For  such  a  one  to  say 
quietly,  "  Father,  not  as  I  will,  but  as  Thou 
wilt,"  is  to  be  a  martyr.  There  is  many  a 
Christian  who  feels  the  irksomeness  of  the 
duties  of  life,  and  feels  his  spirit  revolting  from 
them.  To  get  up  every  morning  with  the  firm 
resolve  to  find  pleasure  in  those  duties,  and  do 
them  well,  and  finish  the  work  which  God  has 
given  Us  to  do,  that  is  to  drink  Christ's  cup. 
The  humblest  occupation  has  in  it  materials  of 
discipline  for  the  highest  heaven. 

F.  W.  Robertson, 


26o  September  i6 

For  the  whole  world  before  thee  is  as  a  little  grain 
of  the  balance^  yea^  as  a  drop  of  the  morning  dew 
that  falleth  down  upon  the  earth.  But  Thou  hasl 
mercy  upon  all.  For  Thou  lovest  all  the  things 
that  are,  —  Wisdom  of  Solomon  xi.  22-24. 

Oh  !  Source  divine,  and  Life  of  all, 
The  Fount  of  Being's  fearful  sea, 

Thy  depth  would  every  heart  appal, 
That  saw  not  love  supreme  in  Thee. 

J.  Sterling. 

HE  showed  a  little  thing,  the  quantity  of  a 
hazel-nut,  lying  in  the  palm  of  my  hand, 
as  meseemed,  and  it  was  as  round  as  a 
ball.  I  looked  thereon  with  the  eye  of  my 
understanding,  and  thought,  "  What  may  this 
be  F  "  and  it  was  answered  generally  thus,  "  // 
is  all  that  is  made."  I  marvelled  how  it  might 
last ;  for  methought  it  might  suddenly  have  fallen 
to  naught  for  littleness.  And  I  was  answered 
in  my  understanding,  "  //  lasteth,  and  ever  shall : 
For  God  loveth  it.  And  so  hath  all  thing  being  by 
the  Love  of  God."  In  this  little  thing  I  saw 
three  properties.  The  first  is,  that  God  made 
it.  The  second  is,  that  God  loveth  it.  The 
third  is,  that  God  keepeth  it.  For  this  is  the 
cause  which  we  be  not  all  in  ease  of  heart  and 
soul :  for  we  seek  here  rest  in  this  thing  which 
is  so  little,  where  no  rest  is  in  :  and  we  know 
not  our  God  that  is  all  Mighty,  all  Wise,  and 
all  Good,  for  He  is  very  rest. 

Mother  Juliana,    1373. 


September  17  261 

Whosoever  will  be  great  among  you^  shall  be  your  i 
minister :  and  whosoever  of  you  will  be  the  chief  est  ^ 
shall  be  servant  of  all.  For  even  the  Son  of  man 
came  not^  to  bejninistered  unto^  but  to  minister ^  and 
to  give  his  life  a  ransom  for  many.  —  Mark  x. 

43-45- 

A  child's  kiss 
'Set  on  thy  sighing  lips,  shall  make  thee  glad  ; 
A  poor  man  served  by  thee,  shall  make  thee  rich  ; 
A  sick  man  helped  by  thee,  shall  make  thee  strong  j 
Thou  shall  be  served  thyself  by  every  sense 
Of  service  which  thou  rendercst. 

E.  B.  Browning. 

LET  every  man  lovingly  cast  all  his  thoughts 
and  cares,  and  his  sins  too,  as  it  were,  on 
the  Will  of  God.  Moreover,  if  a  man, 
while  busy  in  this  lofty  inward  work,  were  called 
by  some  duty  in  the  Providence  of  God  to  cease 
therefrom,  and  cook  a  broth  for  some  sick  per- 
son, or  any  other  such  service,  he  should  do  so 
willingly  and  with  great  joy.  If  I  had  to  for- 
sake such  work,  and  go  out  to  preach  or  aught 
else,  I  should  go  cheerfully,  believing  not  only 
that  God  would  be  with  me,  but  that  he  would 
vouchsafe  me  it  may  be  even  greater  grace  and 
blessing  in  that  external  work  undertaken  out  of 
true  love  in  the  service  of  my  neighbor,  than  I 
should  perhaps  receive  in  my  season  of  loftiest 
contemplation. 

John  Tauler. 


262  September  18 


jtll  the  paths  of  the  Lord  are  mercy  and  truth 
unto  such  as  keep  His  covenant  and  His  testimo- 
nies.—  Ps.  XXV.  10. 


Speak,  Lord,  for  Thy  servant  hearcth, 
Speak  peace  to  my  anxious  soul, 

And  help  me  to  feel  that  all  my  ways 
Are  under  Thy  wise  control  ; 

That  He  who  cares  for  the  lily, 
And  heeds  the  sparrows'  fall, 

Shall  tenderly  lead  His  loving  child  : 
For  He  made  and  loveth  all. 


Anon. 


IT  is  not  by  seeking  more  fertile  regions 
where  toil  is  lighter  —  happier  circumstances 
free  from  difficult  complications  and  trouble- 
some people  —  but  by  bringing  the  high  courage 
of  a  devout  soul,  clear  in  principle  and  aim,  to 
bear  upon  what  is  given  to  us,  that  we  brighten 
our  inward  light,  lead  something  of  a  true  life, 
and  introduce  the  kingdom  of  heaven  into  the 
midst  of  our  earthly  day.  If  we  cannot  work 
out  the  will  of  God  where  God  has  placed  us, 
then  why  has  He  placed  us  there  ? 

J.  H.  Thom. 


September  19  263 

Pray  for  us  unto  the  Lord  thy  God  .  .  .  that 
the  Lord  thy  God  may  show  us  the  way  wherein 
we  may  walk^  and  the  thing  that  we  may  do.  — 
Jer.  xlii.  2,  3. 


-Job) 


That  which   I  see  not^  teach    Thou  me. 
xxxiv.  32. 

O  Father,  hear  ! 
The  way  is  dark,  and  I  would  tain  discern 
What  steps  to  take,  into  which  path  to  turn  ; 

Oh  !  make  it  clear. 

Christian  Intelligencer. 

"X"Tf  TE    can't  choose  happiness    either    for\ 
V V     ourselves  or   for    another;  we    can't  ) 
tell    where    that    will    lie.     We  can  \ 
only  choose  whether  we  will  indulge  ourselves  / 
in  the  present  moment,  or  whether  we  will  re- 
nounce that,  for  the  sake  of  obeying  the  Divine 
voice  within  us,  —  for  the  sake  of  being  true  to 
all  the  motives  that  sanctify  our  lives.     I  know 
this  belief  is  hard ;   it  has  slipped  away  from  me 
again  and  again  j  but  I  have  felt  that  if  I  let   it 
go  forever,  I  should  have  no  light  through  the 
darkness  of  this  life."  George  Ei.iot. 

There  was  a  care  on  my  mind  so  to  pass  my 
time,  that  nothing  might  hinder  me  from  the 
most  steady  attention  to  the  voice  of  the  true 
Shepherd.  John  Woolman. 


264  September  20 

Thou  shalt  hide  them  in  the  secret  of  Thy  pres- 
ence from  the  pride  of  man  :  Thou  shalt  keep  them 
secretly  in  a  pavilion  from  the  strife  of  tongues. 
—  Ps.  xxxi.  20. 


The  praying  spirit  breathe, 

The  watching  power  impart. 
From  all  entanglements  beneath 

Call  off  my  anxious  heart. 
My  feeble  mind  sustain, 

By  worldly  thoughts  oppressed  ; 
Appear,  and  bid  me  turn  again 

To  my  eternal  rest, 

C.   Weslev. 


A 


S  soon  as  we  are  with  God  in  faith  and  in 
love,  we  are  in  prayer. 

FRAN9OIS  DE  LA  MOTHE  F^NELON. 


If  you  could  once  make  up  your  mind  in  the 
fear  of  God  never  to  undertake  more  work  of 
any  sort  than  you  can  carry  on  calmly,  quietly, 
without  hurry  or  flurry,  and  the  instant  you  feel 
yourself  growing  nervous  and  like  one  out  of 
breath,  would  stop  and  take  breath,  you  would 
find  this  simple  common-sense  rule  doing  for  you 
what  no  prayers  or  tears  could  ever  accomplish., 

Elizabeth  Prentiss. 


September  21  265 

How  excellent  is  'Thy  loving-kindness^  O  God! 
therefore  the  children  of  men  put  their  trust  under 
the  shadow  of  Thy  wings.  —  Ps.  xxxvi.  7. 

The  eternal  God  is  thy  refuge^  and  underneathK 
are  the  everlasting  arms.  —  Deut.  xxxiii.  27.       / 


Within  Thy  circling  arms  we  lie, 

O  God  !  in  Thy  infinity  : 
Our  souls  in  quiet  shall  abide, 

Beset  with  love  on  every  side. 

Anon. 


"/^  I  "SHE  Everlasting  Arms."  I  think  of  that 
I  whenever  rest  is  sweet.  How  the  whole 
earth  and  the  strength  of  it,  that  is 
almightiness,  is  beneath  every  tired  creature  to 
give  it  rest ;  holding  us,  always !  No  thought 
of  God  is  closer  than  that.  No  human  tender- 
ness of  patience  is  greater  than  that  which 
gathers  in  its  arms  a  little  child,  and  holds  it, 
heedless  of  weariness.  And  He  fills  the  great 
earth,  and  all  upon  it,  with  this  unseen  force  of 
His  love,  that  never  forgets  or  exhausts  itself, 
so  that  everywhere  we  may  lie  down  in  His 
bosom,  and  be  comforted. 

A.  D.  T.  Whitney. 


266  September  22 

The  word  is  very  nigh  unto  thee^  in  thy  mouthy 
and  in  thy  hearty  that  thou  mayest  do  it.  —  Deut. 
XXX.  14. 

But,  above  all,  the  victory  is  most  sure 

For  him,  who,  seeking  faith  by  virtue,  strives 

To  yield  entire  obedience  to  the  Law 

Of  Conscience ;  Conscience  reverenced  and  obeyed, 

As  God's  most  intimate  presence  in  the  soul, 

And  His  most  perfect  image  in  the  world. 

W.  Wordsworth. 


WHAT  we  call  Conscience  is  the  voice  of 
Divine  love  in  the  deep  of  our  being, 
desiring  union  with  our  will;  and 
which,  by  attracting  the  affections  inward,  in- 
vites them  to  enter  into  the  harmonious  con- 
tentment, and  "  fulness  of  joy  "  which  attends 
the  being  joined  by  "  one  spirit  to  the  Lord." 

J.   P.  Greaves. 

I  REJOICE,  that  God  has  bestowed  upon  you  a 
relish  and  inclination  for  the  inner  life.  To  be 
called  to  this  precious  and  lofty  life  is  a  great 
and  undeserved  grace  of  God,  to  which  we 
ought  to  respond  with  great  faithfulness.  God 
invites  us  to  His  fellowship  of  love,  and 
wishes  to  prepare  our  spirit  to  be  His  own 
abode  and  temple. 

Gerhard  Tersteegen. 


September  23  267 

Show  me   Thy  ways,   O  Lord;  teach  me    Thy 
paths.  —  Ps.  XXV.  4. 


When  we  cannot  see  our  way. 
Let  us  trust  and  still  obey  ; 
He  who  bids  us  forward  go, 
Cannot  fail  the  way  to  show. 
Though  the  sea  be  deep  and  wide. 
Though  a  passage  seem  denied  ; 
Fearless  let  us  still  proceed. 
Since  the  Lord  vouchsafes  to  lead. 

Anon. 


THAT  which  is  often  asked  of  God,  is  not 
so  much  His  will  and  way,  as  His  ap- 
proval of  our  way. 

S.  F.  Smiley. 


There  is  nothing  like  the  first  glance  we  get 
at  duty,  before  there  has  been  any  special  plead- 
ing of  our  affections  or  inclinations.  Duty  is 
never  uncertain  at  first.  It  is  only  after  we 
have  got  involved  in  the  mazes  and  sophistries 
of  wishing  that  things  were  otherwise  than  they 
are,  that  it  seems  indistinct.  Considering  a 
duty  is  often  only  explaining  it  away.  Delib- 
eration is  often  only  dishonesty.  God's  guid- 
ance is  plain,  when  we  are  true. 

F.  W.  Robertson. 


268  September  24 

IVhen   I  awake^   I  am  still  with    Thee,  —  Ps. 
cxxxix.  18. 

Let  the  glow  of  love  destroy 
Cold  obedience  faintly  given  ; 
Wake  our  hearts  to  strength  and  joy 
With  the  flushing  eastern  heaven. 

C.  K.  VoN'  Rosen  ROTH. 

WITH  his  first  waking  consciousness,  he 
can  set  himself  to  take  a  serious,  manlv 
view  of  the  day  before  him.  He  ought 
to  know  pretty  well  on  what  lines  his  difficultv 
is  likely  to  come,  whether  in  being  irritable,  or 
domineering,  or  sharp  in  his  bargains,  or  self- 
absorbed,  or  whatever  it  be;  and  now,  in  this 
quiet  hour,  he  can  take  a  good,  full  look  at  his 
enemy,  and  make  up  his  mind  to  beat  him.  It 
is  a  good  time,  too,  for  giving  his  thoughts  a 
range  quite  beyond  himself,  —  beyond  even  his 
own  moral  struggles,  —  a  good  time,  there  in 
the  stillness,  for  going  into  the  realm  of  other 
lives.  His  wife,  —  what  needs  has  she  for  help, 
for  sympathy,  that  he  can  meet .''  His  children, 
—  how  can  he  make  the  day  sweeter  to  them.'' 
This  acquaintance,  who  is  having  a  hard  time ; 
this  friend,  who  dropped  a  word  to  you  yester- 
day that  you  hardly  noticed  in  your  hurry,  but 
that  comes  up  to  you  now,  revealing  in  him 
some  finer  trait,  some  deeper  hunger,  than  you 
had  guessed  before,  —  now  you  can  think  these 
things  over.  G.  S,  Mkrriam. 


September  25  269 

Te  shall  rejoice  in  all  that  ye  put  your  hand 
untOy  ye  and  your  households^  wherein  the  Lord  thy 
God  hath  blessed  thee. —  Deut.  xii.  7. 

Sweet  is  the  smile  of  home  ;  the  mutual  look 

When  hearts  are  of"  each  other  sure ; 
Sweet  all  the  joys  that  crowd  the  household  nook. 

The  haunt  of  all  affections  pure. 

J.   Keble. 

IS  there  any  tie  which  absence  has  loosened, 
or  which  the  wear  and  tear  of  every-day 
intercourse,  little  uncongenialities,  uncon- 
fessed  misunderstandings,  have  fretted  into  the 
heart,  until  it  bears  something  of  the  nature  of 
a  fetter?  Any  cup  at  our  home-table  whose 
sweetness  we  have  not  fully  tasted,  although  it 
might  yet  make  of  our  daily  bread  a  continual 
feast  ?  Let  us  reckon  up  these  treasures  while 
they  are  still  ours,  in  thankfulness  to  God. 

Elizabeth  Charles. 

We  ought  daily  or  weekly  to  dedicate  a  little 
time  to  the  reckoning  up  of  the  virtues  of  our 
belongings,  —  wife,  children,  friends,  —  con- 
templating them  then  in  a  beautiful  collection. 
And  we  should  do  so  now,  that  we  may  not 
pardon  and  love  in  vain  and  too  late,  after  the 
beloved  one  has  been  taken  away  from  us  to  a 
better  world. 

Jean  Paul  Richtkr. 


270  September  26 


Yea^  though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the 
shadow  of  death  ^  I  will  fear  no  evil :  for  Thou  art 
with  me  ;  Thy  rod  and  Thy  staff  they  comfort  me. 
—  Ps.  xxiii.  4. 


O  Will,  that  wiliest  good  alone. 

Lead  Thou  the  way,  Thou  guidest  best  ) 
A  silent  child,  1  follow  on. 

And  trusting  lean  upon  Thy  breast. 
And  if  in  gloom  I  see  Thee  not, 

I  lean  upon  Thy  love  unknown  ; 
In  me  Thy  blessed  will  is  wrought. 

If  I  will  nothing  of  my  own. 

Gerhard  Tersteegen 


THE  devout  soul  is  always  safe  in  every 
state,  if  it  makes  everything  an  occasion 
either  of  rising  up,  or  falling  down  into 
the  hands  of  God,  and  exercising  faith,  and 
trust,  and  resignation  to  Him.  The  pious  soul, 
that  eyes  only  God,  that  means  nothing  but 
being  His  alone,  can  have  no  stop  put  to  its 
progress ;  light  and  darkness  equally  assist  him  : 
in  the  light  he  looks  up  to  God,  in  the  darkness 
he  lays  hold  on  God,  and  so  they  both  do  him 
the  same  good. 

Wm.  Law, 


September  27  271 

When  I  sit  in  darkness,  the  Lord  shall  be  a  light 
unto  me.  —  Micah  vii.  8. 

There  be  many  that  say.  Who  will  show  us  any 
good?      Lord,  lift  Thou  up  the  light  of  Thy  count e-i 
nance  upon  us.  —  Ps.  iv.  6. 

How  oft  a  gleam  of  glory  sent 

Straigiu  through  the  deepest,  darkest  night. 
Has  filled  the  soul  with  heavenly  light, 

With  holy  peace  and  sweet  content. 

Anon. 

SUPPOSE  you  are  bewildered  and  know  not 
what  is  right  nor  what  is  true.  Can  you 
not  cease  to  regard  whether  you  do  or  not, 
whether  you  be  bewildered,  whether  you  be 
happy  ?  Cannot  you  utterly  and  perfectly  love, 
and  rejoice  to  be  in  the  dark,  and  gloom-beset, 
because  that  very  thing  is  the  fact  of  God's 
Infinite  Being  as  it  is  to  you  ?  Cannot  you 
take  this  trial  also  into  your  own  heart,  and  be 
ignorant,  not  because  you  are  obliged,  but  be- 
cause that  being  God's  will,  it  is  yours  also  ? 
Do  you  not  see  that  a  person  who  truly  loves  is 
one  with  the  Infinite  Being  —  cannot  be  un- 
comfortable or  unhappy  ?  It  is  that  which  is 
that  he  wills  and  desires  and  holds  best  of  all  to 
be.     To  know  God  is  utterly  to  sacrifice  self. 

James  Hinton. 


272  September  28 

My  little  children^  let  us  not  love  in  zvord^  neither 
in  tongue ;  hut  in  deed,  and  in  truth.  —  I  John 
Hi.  18. 

But  be  ye  doers  of  the  word,  and  not  hearers 
only,  deceiving  your  own  selves.  —  James  i.  22. 

Thrice  blest  whose  lives  are  faithful  prayers. 
Whose  loves  in  higher  love  endure  ; 
What  souls  possess  themselves  so  pure,  ■ 

Or  is  there  blessedness  like  theirs  ? 

A.  Tennyson. 


LET  every  creature  have  your  love.  Love, 
with  its  fruits  of  meekness,  patience,  and 
humility,  is  all  that  we  can  wish  for  to 
ourselves,  and  our  fellow-creatures  ;  for  this  is 
to  live  in  God,  united  to  Him,  both  for  time 
and  eternity.  To  desire  to  communicate  good 
to  every  creature,  in  the  degree  we  can,  and  it 
is  capable  of  receiving  from  us,  is  a  divine 
temper ;  for  thus  God  stands  unchangeably  dis- 
posed towards  the  whole  creation. 

Wm.  Law. 

What  shall  be  our  reward  for  loving  our 
neighbor  as  ourselves  in  this  life  ?  That,  when 
we  become  angels,  we  shall  be  enabled  to  love 
him  better  than  ourselves. 

E.    SWEDENBORG. 


September  29  273 

Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart :  for  they  shall  see 
God.  —  Matt.  v.  8. 

Follow  peace  with  all  men^  and  holiness^  without 
which  no  man  shall  see  the  Lord.  —  Heb.  xii.  14. 

Since  Thou  Thyself  dost  still  display 

Unto  the  pure  in  heart, 
Oh,  make  us  children  of  the  day 

To  know  Thee  as  Thou  art. 
For  Thou  art  light  and  life  and  love  j 

And  Thy  redeemed  below 
May  see  Thee  as  Thy  saints  above, 

And  know  Thee  as  they  know. 

J.  Montgomery. 

DOUBT,  gloom,  impatience,  have  been 
expelled  ;  joy  has  taken  their  place,  the 
hope  of  heaven  and  the  harmony  of  a 
pure  heart,  the  triumph  of  self-mastery,  sober 
thoughts,  and  a  contented  mind.  How  can 
charity  towards  all  men  fail  ro  follow,  being  the 
mere  afFectionateness  of  innocence  and  peace  ? 
Thus  the  Spirit  of  God  creates  in  us  the  sim- 
plicity and  warmth  of  heart  which  children  have, 
nay,  rather  the  perfections  of  His  heavenly  hosts, 
high  and  low  being  joined  together  in  His  mys- 
terious work  ;  for  what  are  implicit  trust,  ardent 
love,  abiding  purity,  but  the  mind  both  of  little 
children  and  of  the  adoring  seraphim  ! 

J.   H.  Newman. 


274  September  30 


Lord^  who  shall  abide  in  Thy  tabernacle  ?  who 
shall  dwell  in  Thy  holy  hill?  He  that  walketh 
uprightly^  and  worketh  righteousness^  and  speaketh 
the  truth  in  his  heart.  — Ps.  xv.  i,  2. 


How  happy  is  he  born  or  taught, 

That  serveth  not  another's  will, 
Whose  armor  is  his  honest  thought, 

And  simple  truth  his  utmost  skill. 

H.    WOTTON. 


IF  thou  workest  at  that  which  is  before  thee, 
following  right  reason,  seriously,  vigorously, 
calmly,  without  allowing  anything  else  to 
distract  thee,  but  keeping  thy  divine  part  pure  as 
if  thou  shouldest  be  bound  to  give  it  back  imme- 
diately,—  if  thou  boldest  to  this,  expecting  noth- 
ing, fearing  nothing,  but  satisfied  with  thy 
present  activity  according  to  nature,  and  with 
heroic  truth  in  every  word  and  sound  which  thou 
utterest,  thou  wilt  live  happy.  And  there  is  no 
man  who  is  able  to  prevent  this. 

Marcu&  Antoninus. 


October  i  275 

Be  strongs  all  ye  people  of  the  land,  saith  thi 
Lord,  and  work  :  for  I  am  with  you,  saith  the 
Lord  of  hosts.  — Haggai  ii.  4. 


Yet  the  world  is  Thy  field,  Thy  garden  ; 

On  earth  art  Thou  still  at  home. 
When  Thou  bendest  hither  Thy  hallowing  eye. 
My  narrow  work-room  seems  vast  and  high. 
Its  dingy  ceiling  a  rainbow-dome,  — 
Stand  ever  thus  at  my  wide-swung  door. 

And  toil  will  be  toil  no  more. 

L.  Larcom. 


THE  situation  that  has  not  its  duty,  its 
ideal,  was  never  yet  occupied  by  man. 
Yes,  here,  in  this  poor,  miserable,  ham- 
pered, despicable  Actual,  wherein  thou  even  now 
standest,  here  or  nowhere  is  thy  Ideal:  work  it 
out  therefrom ;  and  working,  believe,  live,  be 
free.  Fool!  the  Ideal  is  in  thyself,  the  impedi- 
ment too  is  in  thyself:  thy  condition  is  but  the 
stuff  thou  art  to  shape  that  same  Ideal  out  of: 
what  matters  whether  such  stuff  be  of  this  sort 
or  that,  so  the  form  thou  givest  it  be  heroic,  be 
poetic.  O  thou  that  pinest  in  the  imprisonment 
of  the  Actual,  and  criest  bitterly  to  the  gods  for 
a  kingdom  wherein  to  rule  and  create,  know 
this  of  a  truth  :  the  thing  thou  seekest  is  already 
with  thee,  "  here  or  nowhere,"  couldst  thou 
only  see ! 

T.  Carlyle, 


276  October  2 

/  am  purposed  that  my  mouth  shall  not  trans- 
gress. —  Ps.  XV ii.  3. 

In  the  multitude  of  words  there  wanteth  not  sin : 
hut  he  that  refraineth  his  lips  is  wise.  —  Prov, 
X.   19. 

Prune  thou  thy  words  ;  the  thoughts  control 

That  o'er  thee  swell  and  throng  ; 
They  will  condense  within  thy  soul, 

And  change  to  purpose  strong. 

J.   H.   Newman. 

FEW    men   suspect   how    much    mere    talk 
fritters  away  spiritual  energy,  —  that  which 
should  be  spent  in  action,  spends  itself  in 
words.      Hence  he  who  restrains  that  love  of 
talk,  lays  up  a  fund  of  spiritual  strength. 

F.   W.  Robertson. 

Do  not  flatter  yourself  that  your  thoughts  are 
under  due  control,  your  desires  properly  regu- 
lated, or  your  dispositions  subject  as  they  should 
be  to  Christian  principle,  if  your  intercourse 
with  others  consists  mainly  of  frivolous  gossip, 
impertinent  anecdotes,  speculations  on  the  char- 
acter and  affairs  of  your  neighbors,  the  repetition 
of  former  conversations,  or  a  discussion  of  the 
current  petty  scandal  of  society ;  much  less,  if 
you  allow  yourself  in  careless  exaggeration  on 
all  these  points,  and  that  grievous  inattention  to 
exact  truth,  which  is  apt  to  attend  the  statements 
of  those  whose  conversation  is  made  up  of  these 
materials.  H.  Ware,  Jr. 


October  3  277 

'Judge  not^  that  ye  be  not  judged.  —  Matt.  vii.  i . 

fVhy  beholdest  thou  the  mote  that  is  in  thy 
brother's  eye,  but  perceivest  not  the  beam  that  is 
in  thine  own  eye  ?  —  Luke  vi.  41. 

Judge  not  ;  the  workings  of  his  brain 
And  of  his  heart  thou  canst  not  see  ; 

What  looks  to  thy  dim  eyes  a  stain. 
In  God's  pure  light  may  only  be 

A  scar,  brought  from  some  well-won  field. 

Where  thou  wouldst  only  faint  and  yield. 

Adelaide  A.   Procter. 

WHEN  you  behold  an  aspect  for  whose 
constant  gloom  and  frown  you  cannot 
account,  whose  unvarying  cloud  exas- 
perates you  by  its  apparent  causelessness,  be 
sure  that  there  is  a  canker  somewhere,  and  a 
canker  not  the  less  deeply  corroding  because 
concealed.  Charlotte  Bronte. 

While  we  are  coldly  discussing  a  man's  ca- 
reer,sneering  at  his  mistakes, blaming  his  rashness, 
and  labelling  his  opinions  —  "Evangelical  and 
narrow,"  or  "  Latitudinarian  and  Pantheistic," 
or  "  Anglican  and  supercilious  "  —  that  man,  in 
his  solitude,  is  perhaps  shedding  hot  tears  because 
his  sacrifice  is  a  hard  one,  because  strength  and 
patience  are  failing  him  to  speak  the  difficult 
word,  and  do  the  difficult  deed. 

GeoRuii  Enor. 


278  October  4 

Be  strongs  and  of  a  good  courage  ;  be  not  afraid^ 
neither  be  thou  dismayed :  for  the  Lord  thy  God  is 
with  thee  whithersoever  thou  goest.  —  Josh.  i.  9. 


By  Thine  unerring  Spirit  led, 

We  shall  not  in  the  desert  stray  ; 
We  shall  not  full  direction  need, 

Nor  miss  our  providential  way  ; 
As  far  from  danger  as  from  fear, 
While  love,  almighty  love,  is  near. 

Charles  Wesley. 


WATCH  your  way  then,  as  a  cautious 
traveller;  and  don't  be  gazing  at  that 
mountain  or  river  in  the  distance,  and 
saying,  "  How  shall  I  ever  get  over  them  ?  "  but 
keep  to  the  present  little  inch  that  is  before  you, 
and  accomplish  that  in  the  little  moment  that 
belongs  to  it.  The  mountain  and  the  river  can 
only  be  passed  in  the  same  way ;  and,  when  you 
come  to  them,  you  will  come  to  the  light  and 
strength  that  belong  to  them. 

M.  A.  Kelty. 


Let  not  future  things  disturb  thee,  for  thou 
wilt  come  to  them,  if  it  shall  be  necessary,  hav- 
ing with  thee  the  same  reason  which  thou  now 
usest  for  present  things, 

Marcus  Antonjnus, 


October  5  279 


Say   to   them  that  are  of  a  fearful  hearty  Be 
strongs  fear  not.  —  ISA.  xxxv.  4. 


Why  shouldst  thou  fill  to-day  with  sorrow  J 
About  to-morrow,  S 

My  heart  ?  1 

One  watches  all  with  care  most  true. 
Doubt  not  that  He  will  give  thee  too 
Thy  part. 

Paul  Flemmino. 


THE  crosses  which  we  make  for  ourselves 
by  a  restless  anxiety  as  to  the  future,  are 
not  crosses  which  come  from  God.  We 
show  want  of  faith  in  Him  by  our  false  wisdom, 
wishing  to  forestall  His  arrangements,  and  strug- 
gling to  supplement  His  Providence  by  our  own 
providence.  The  future  is  not  yet  ours ;  per- 
haps it  never  will  be.  If  it  comes,  it  may  come 
wholly  different  from  what  we  have  foreseen. 
Let  us  shut  our  eyes,  then,  to  that  which  God 
hides  from  us,  and  keeps  in  reserve  in  the 
treasures  of  His  deep  counsels.  Let  us  worship 
without  seeing  ;  let  us  be  silent ;  let  us  abide 
in  peace. 

F1IAN9OIS  DE  LA  MOTHE  FInELON. 


a8o  October  6 

/  had  fainted^  unless  I  had  believed  to  see  tht 
goodness  of  the  Lord  in  the  land  of  the  living. 
—  Ps.  xxvii.  13. 


I  will  surely  do  thee  good.  —  Gen.  xxxii.  12. 


Thou  know'st  not  what  is  good  for  thee. 

But  God  doth  know,  — 
Let  Him  thy  strong  reliance  be. 

And  rest  thee  so. 

C.   F.  Gellert. 


LET  us  be  very  careful  of  thinking,  on  the 
one  hand,  that  we  have  no  work  assigned 
us  to  do,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  that  what 
we  have  assigned  to  us  is  not  the  right  thing  for 
us.  If  ever  we  can  say  in  our  hearts  to  God, 
in  reference  to  any  daily  duty,  "This  is  not  my 
place  ;  1  would  choose  something  dearer ;  1  am 
capable  of  something  higher ;  "  we  are  guilty 
not  only  of  rebellion,  but  of  blasphemy.  It  is 
equivalent  to  saying,  not  only,  "  My  heart  re- 
volts against  Thy  commands,"  but  "  Thy  com- 
mands are  unwise;  Thine  Almighty  guidance  is 
unskilful ;  Thine  omniscient  eye  has  mistaken 
the  capacities  of  Thy  creature ;  Thine  infinite 
love  is  indifferent  to  the  welfare  of  Thy  child." 

Elizabeth  Charles. 


October  7  281 


And  because  ye  are  sons^  God  hath  sent  the  Spirit 
of  His  Son  into  your  hearts.^  crying,  Abba^  Father, 
—  Gal.  iv.  6. 


O  Lord,  forgive  my  sin, 

And  deign  to  put  within 
A  calm,  obedient  heart,  a  patient  mind  } 

That  I  may  murmur  not. 

Though  bitter  seem  my  lot  ; 
Fo/hcarts  unthankful  can  no  blessing  find^ 

^-^  M.  RuTiut?s7  1604. 


RESIGNATION  to  the  Divine  Will  signi- 
fies a  cheerful  approbation  and  thankful 
acceptance  of  everything  that  comes  from 
God.  It  is  not  enough  patiently  to  submit,  but 
we  must  thankfully  receive  and  fully  approve  of 
everything  that,  by  the  order  of  God's  provi- 
dence, happens  to  us.  For  there  is  no  reason 
why  we  should  be  patient,  but  what  is  as  good 
and  as  strong  a  reason  why  we  should  be  thank- 
ful. Whenever,  therefore,  you  find  yourself 
disposed  to  uneasiness  or  murmuring  at  any 
thing  that  is  the  effect  of  God's  providence 
over  you,  you  must  look  upon  yourself  as  deny- 
ing either  the  wisdom  or  goodness  of  God. 

Wm.  Law. 


282  October  8 

^e  shall  not  go  out  in  haste^  for  the  Lord  will 
go  before  you  ;  and  the  God  of  Israel  will  be  your 
rearward.  —  IsA.  lii.  12.  (R.  V.). 

He  that  believeth  shall  not  make  haste.  —  Isa. 
xxviii.  1 6. 

Holy  Spirit,  Peace  divine  ! 
Still  this  restless  heart  of  mine  ; 
Speak,  to  calm  this  tossing  sea, 
Stayed  in  Thy  tranquillity. 

S.  Longfellow. 

IN  whatever  you  are  called  upon  to  do,  en- 
deavor to  maintain  a  calm,  collected,  and 
prayerful  state  of  mind.  Self-recollection 
is  of  great  importance.  "  It  is  good  for  a  man 
to  quietly  wait  for  the  salvation  of  the  Lord." 
He  who  is  in  what  may  be  called  a  spiritual 
hurry,  or  rather  who  runs  without  having  evi- 
dence of  being  spiritually  sent,  makes  haste  to 
no  purpose.  T.  C.  Upham. 

There  is  great  fret  and  worry  in  always  run- 
ning  after  work  ;  it  is  not  good  intellectually  or 
spiritually.  Annie  Keary. 

Whenever  we  are  outwardly  excited  we 
should  cease  to  act ;  but  whenever  we  have  a 
message  from  the  spirit  within,  we  should  exe- 
cute it  with  calmness.  A  fine  day  may  excite  i 
one  to  act,  but  it  is  much  better  that  we  act 
from  the  calm  spirit  in  any  day,  be  the  outward 
what  it  may,  J.  P.  Greaves. 


October  g  283 

jis  for  me  and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the  L/jrd^ 
-'Josh.  xxiv.  15. 

O  HAPPY  house  I  and  happy  servitude  I 

Where  all  alike  one  Master  own  ; 
Where  daily  duty,  in  Thy  strength  pursued, 

Is  never  hard  or  toilsome  known  ; 
Where  each  one  serves  Thee,  meek  and  lowly. 

Whatever  Thine  appointment  be. 
Till  common  tasks  seem  great  and  holy, 

When  they  are  done  as  unto  Thee. 

C.  J.  P.  Spitta. 

AT  Dudson  there  was  no  rushing  after  any- 
thing, either  worldly  or  intellectual.  It 
was  a  home  of  constant  activity,  issuing/ 
from,  and  retiring  to,  a  centre  of  deep  repose,  j 
There  was  an  earnest  application  of  excellent 
sense  to  the  daily  duties  of  life,  to  the  minutest 
courtesy  and  kindness,  as  well  as  to  the  real 
interests  of  others.  Everything  great  and  every- 
thing little  seemed  done  in  the  same  spirit,  and 
with  the  same  degree  of  fidelity,  because  it  was 
the  will  of  God  ;  and  that  which  could  not  be 
traced  to  His  will  was  not  undertaken  at  all. 
Nothing  at  Dudson  was  esteemed  too  little  to 
be  cared  for,  and  nothing  too  great  to  be  under- 
taken at  the  command  of  God  j  and  for  this 
they  daily  exercised  their  mental  and  bodily 
powers  on  the  things  around  them  j  knowing 
that  our  Lord  thoroughly  furnishes  each  of  His 
soldiers  for  his  work,  and  places  before  each  the 
task  he  has  to  do.  M.  A.   Schimmelpenninck. 


284  October  10 

Now  the  Lord  of  peace  Himself  give  you  peace 
always  by  all  means.  —  2  Thess.  iii.  1 6. 

The  Lord  will  give  strength  unto  His  people; 
the  Lord  will  bless  His  people  with,  peace.  —  Ps. 
xxix.  II. 

In  the  heart's  depths  a  peace  serene  and  holy 
Abides,  and  when  pain  seems  to  have  its  will, 

Or  we  despair,  —  oh,  may  that  peace  rise  slowly. 
Stronger  than  agony,  and  we  be  still. 

S.  Johnson. 

BUT  if  a  man  ought  and  is  willing  to  lie 
still  under  God's  hand,  he  must  and  ought 
also  to  lie  still  under  all  things,  whether 
they  come  from  God,  himself,  or  the  creatures, 
nothing  excepted.  And  he  who  would  be 
obedient,  resigned,  and  submissive  to  God, 
must  and  ought  to  be  also  resigned,  obedient, 
and  submissive  to  all  things,  in  a  spirit  of  yield- 
ing, and  not  of  resistance;  and  {.take  them  in 
silence,  resting  on  the  hidden  foundations  of 
his  soul,  and  having  a  secret  inward  patience, 
that  enableth  him  to  take  all  chances  or  crosses 
willingly ;  ^nd,  whatever  befalleth,  neither  to 
call  for  frbr  desire  any  redress,  or  deliverance, 
or  resistance,  or  revenge,  but  always  in  a  loving, 
sincere  humility  to  cry,  "  Father,  forgive  them, 
for  they  know  not  what  they  do  !  " 

Theologia  Germanica. 


October  ii  285 


And  when  the  people  complained^  it  displeased  the 
Lord,  —  Num.  xi.  i. 


When  thou  hast  thanked  thy  God 

For  every  blessing  sent, 
What  time  will  then  remain 

For  murmurs  or  lament  ? 

R.  C.  Trench. 


LET  him,  with  a  cheerful  and  thankful  spirit, 
yield  himself  up  to  suffer  whatever  God 
shall  appoint  unto  him,  and  to  fulfil,  ac- 
cording to  his  power,  by  the  grace  of  God,  all 
His  holy  will  to  the  utmost  that  he  can  discern 
it,  and  never  complain  of  his  distresses  but  ta 
God  alone,  with  entire  and  humble  resignation, 
praying  that  he  may  be  strong  to  endure  all  his 
sufferings  according  to  the  will  of  God. 

John  Tauler. 


He  who  complains,  or  thinks  he  has  a  right  to* 
complain,  because  he  is  called  in  God's  Provi- , 
dence  to  suffer,  has  something  within  him  which 
needs  to  be  taken  away.     A  soul  whose  will  is 
lost  in  God's  will,  can  never  do  this.     Sorrow 
may  exist ;  but  complaint  never. 

Catherine  Adorna.  i 


286  October  12 


Singing  and  making  melody  in  your  heart  to  tht 
Lord.  —  Eph.  v.  19. 

Sanctify   the   Lord   God  in  your   hearts,  —  1 
Peter  iii.  15. 

There  are  in  this  loud  stunning  tide  « 
Of  human  care  and  crime/  TfyymJ 
With  whom  the  melodies  abide 

Of  th'  everlasting  chime  5 
Who  carry  music  in  their  heart 
Through  dusky  lane  and  wrangling  mart, 
Plying  their  daily  task  with  busier  feet, 
Because  their  secret  souls  a  holy  strain  repeat. 

J.  Keble. 

STRIVE  to  cany  thyself  with  a  total  resig- 
nation to  the  Divine  Will,  that  God  may 
do  with  thee  and  all  thine  according  to  His 
heavenly  pleasure,  relying  on  Him  as  on  a  kind 
and  loving  Father.  Never  recall  that  intention, 
and  though  thou  be  taken  up  about  the  affairs 
of  the  condition  wherein  God  hath  placed  thee, 
yet  thou  wilt  still  be  in  prayer,  in  the  presence 
of  God,  and  in  perpetual  acts  of  resignation. 
"  A  just  man  leaves  not  off  to  pray  unless  he 
leaves  off  to  be  just."  He  always  prays  who 
always  does  well.  The  good  desire  is  prayer, 
and  if  the  desire  be  continued  so  also  is  the 
prayer. 

M.  DE  Mounds. 


October  13  287 

We  desire  that  every  one  of  you  do  show  the 
same  diligence  to  the  full  assurance  of  hope  unto  the 
end.  —  Heb.  vi.  ii. 

m 

The  Lord  is  faithful^  who  shall  stablish  yoUy  and 
keep  you  from  evil.  —  2  Thess.  iii.  3. 

Long  though  my  task  may  be, 

Cometh  the  end. 
God  't  is  that  helpeth  me. 
His  is  the  work,  and  He 

New  strength  will  lend. 

Anon. 

SET  yourself  steadfastly  to  those  duties  which 
have  the  least  attractive  exterior;  it  matters 
not  whether  God's  holy  will  be  fulfilled  in 
great  or  small  matters.  Be  patient  with  your- 
self and  your  own  failings  ;  never  be  in  a  hurry, 
and  do  not  yield  to  longings  after  that  which 
is  impossible  to  you.  My  dear  sister,  go  on 
steadily  and  quietly  ;  if  our  dear  Lord  means 
you  to  run,  He  will  "  strengthen  your  heart." 

St.  Francis  de  Sales. 

Always  begin  by  doing  that  which  costs  me 
xpost,  unless  the  easier  duty  Is  a  pressing  one. 
/^Examine,  classify,  and  determine  at  night  the 
work  of  the  morrow ;  arrange  things  in  the 
order  of  their  Importance,  and  act  accordingly^) 
Dread,  above  all  things,  bitterness  and  irritation. 
Never  say,  or  indirectly  recall  anything  to  my 
advantage.  Madame  Swei chink. 


288  October  14 

He  that  stnneth  against  Me  wrongeth  his  own 
soul:  all  they  that  hate  Me  love  death,  —  Pro  v. 
viii.  36. 

But  now  being  made  free  from  sin,  and  become 
servants  to  God,  ye  have  your  fruit  unto  holiness, 
and  the  end  everlasting  life.  For  the  wages  of  sin 
is  death ;  but  the  gift  of  God  is  eternal  life  through 
Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.  —  Rom.  vi.  22,  23. 

O  Sovereign  Love,  to  Thee  I  cry  ! 
Give  me  Thyself,  or  else  I  die  ! 
Save  me  from  death  ;  from  hell  set  free  ! 
Death,  hell,  are  but  the  want  of  Thee. 
Quickened  by  Thy  imparted  flame, 
Saved  when  possessed  of  Thee,  I  am  : 
My  life,  my  only  heaven  Thou  art ; 
O  might  I  feel  Thee  in  my  heart  1 

C.  Wesley. 

SIN  itself  is  hell,  and  death,  and  misery  to  the 
soul,  as  being  a  departure  from  goodness 
and  holiness  itself;  I  mean  from  God,  in 
conjunction  with  whom  the  happiness,  and 
blessedness,  and  heaven  of  a  soul  doth  consist. 
Avoid  it,  therefore,  as  you  would  avoid  being 
miserable.  Samuel  Shaw. 

"  I  COULD  n't  live  in  peace  if  I  put  the 
shadow  of  a  wilful  sin  between  myself  and  God." 

George  Eliot. 

Unholy  tempers  are  always  unhappy  tempers. 

John  Wesley. 


October  15  289 

Mine  iniquities  have  taken  hold  upon  me^  so  that 
I  am  not  able  to  look  up  ;  therefore  tny  heart  falleth 
me.  Be  pleased^  O  Lord^  to  deliver  me  :  O  Lord^ 
make  haste  to  help  me.  —  Ps.  xl.  I2,  13. 


Sin  shall  not  have  dominion  over  you.  —  RoM. 
vi.  14. 


O  Thou,  to  whose  all-searching  sight 
The  darkness  shineth  as  the  light  ! 
Search,  prove  my  heart  ;  it  pants  for  Thee : 
Oh,  burst  these  bonds,  and  set  it  free  I 

G.  Tersteegen. 


YES,  this  sin  which  has  sent  me  weary- 
hearted  to  bed  and  desperate  in  heart  to 
'  morning  work,  that  has  made  my  plans 
miscarry  until  I  am  a  coward,  that  cuts  me  ofF 
from  prayer,  that  robs  the  sky  of  blueness  and 
the  earth  of  springtime,  and  the  air  of  freshness, 
and  human  faces  of  friendliness,  —  this  blasting 
sin  which  perhaps  has  made  my  bed  in  hell  for 
me  so  long,  —  this  can  be  conquered.  I  do  not 
say  annihilated,  but,  better  than  that,  conquered^ 
captured  and  transfigured  into  a  friend:  so  that 
I  at  last  shall  say,  "  My  temptation  has  become 
my  strength !  for  to  the  very  fight  with  it  I  owe 
my  force.** 

W.  C.  Gannett. 


290  October  16 

/  am  not  worthy  of  the  least  of  all  the  mercies^ 
and  of  all  the  truth^  which  Thou  hast  showed  unto 
Thy  servant.  —  Gen.  xxxii.  lo. 

Some  murmur  if  their  sky  is  clear. 

And  wholly  bright  to  view. 
If  one  small  speck  of  dark  appear 

In  their  great  heaven  of  blue  : 
And  some  with  thankful  love  are  filled. 

If  but  one  streak  of  light, 
One  ray  of  God's  good  mercy,  gild 

The  darkness  of  their  night. 

R.  C.  Trench. 

HABITUAL  sufferers  are  precisely  those 
who  least  frequently  doubt  the  Divine 
benevolence,  and  whose  faith  and  love 
rise  to  the  serenest  cheerfulness;  Possessed  by 
no  idea  of  a  prescriptive  right  to  be  happy,  their 
blessings  are  not  benumbed  by  anticipation,  but 
come  to  them  fresh  and  brilliant  as  the  first 
day's  morning  and  evening  light  to  the  dwellers 
in  Paradise.  With  the  happy  it  is  their  con- 
stant peace  that  seems  to  come  by  nature,  and  to 
be  blunted  by  its  commonness,  —  and  their  griefs 
to  come  from  God,  sharpened  by  their  sacred 
origin ;  with  the  sufferer,  it  is  his  pain  that 
appears  to  be  a  thing  of  course,  and  to  require 
no  explanation,  while  his  relief  is  reverently 
welcomed  as  a  divine  interposition,  and,  as  a 
breath  of  Heaven,  caresses  the  heart  into 
melodies  of  praise.  j.  Martineau. 


October  17  291 

Hath  the  Lord  as  great  delight  in  burnt  offeringi 
and  sacrifices^  as  in  obeying  the  voice  of  the  Lord? 
Behold^  to  obey  is  better  than  sacrifice,  —  I  Sam. 
XV.  22. 

Fear  ye  not^  stand  stilly  and  see  the  salvation  of 
the  Lord^  which  He  tvill  show  to  you  to-day,  — 
Ex.  xiv.  13. 

The  folded  hands  seem  idle  i 

If  folded  at  His  word, 
'Tis  a  holy  service,  trust  me, 

In  obedience  to  the  Lord. 

Anna  Shipton. 

IT  is  not  the  multitude  of  hard  duties,  it  W 
not  constraint  and  contention  that  advance^ 
us  in  our  Christian  course.     On  the  con-( 
trary,  it  is  the  yielding  of  our  wills  without  re- 
striction and  without  choice,  to  tread  cheerfully 
every  day  in  the  path  in  which  Providence  leads 
us,  to  seek   nothing,  to  be  discouraged  by  noth- 
ing, to  see  our  duty  in  the  present  moment,  to 
trust  all  else  without  reserve  to  the  will  and 
power  of  God. 

Francois  de  la  Mothe  FInelon. 

Godliness  is  the  devotion  of  the  soul  to  God, 
as  to  a  living  person  whose  will  is  -to  be  its  law, 
whose  love  is  to  be  its  life.     It  is  the  habit  ofC 
living  before  the  face  of  God,  and  not  the  simplyb 
doing  certain  things.  J.  B.  Browm] 


292  October  18 

Except  your  righteousness  shall  exceed  the  right- 
eousness of  the  scribes  and  Pharisees^  ye  shall  In 
no  case  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.  —  Matt. 
V.  20. 

The  freedom  from  all  wilful  sin. 
The  Christian's  daily  task,  — 
Oh  these  are  graces  far  below 
^     What  longing  love  would  ask  ! 
(Dole  not  thy  duties  out  to  God.'N 

F.*^.   Faber. 

YOU  perhaps  will  say  that  all  people  fall 
short  of  the  perfection  of  the  Gospel,  and 
therefore  you  are  content  with  your  fail- 
ings. But  this  is  saying  nothing  to  the  purpose : 
for  the  question  is  not  whether  Gospel  perfec- 
tion can  be  fully  attained,  but  whether  you  come 
as  near  it  as  a  sincere  intention  and  careful  dili- 
gence can  carry  you.  Whether  you  are  not  in 
a  much  lower  state  than  you  might  be  if  you 
sincerely  intended  and  carefully  labored  to  ad- 
vance yourself  in  all  Christian  virtues. 

Wm,  Law. 

We  know  not  exactly  how  low  the  least 
degree  of  obedience  is,  which  will  bring  a  man 
to  heaven ;  but  this  we  are  quite  sure  of,  that 
he  who  aims  no  higher  will  be  sure  to  fall  short 
even  of  that,  and  that  he  who  goes  farthest 
beyond  it  will  be  most  blessed. 

John  Kerj: 


October  19  293 

Thus  saith  the  Lord^  thy  Redeemer^  the  Holy 
One  of  Israel;  I  am  the  Lord  thy  God  which 
teacheth  thee  to  profit.^  which  leadeth  thee  by  the 
way  that  thou  shouldest  go.  —  Isa.  xlviii.  17. 

I  SEEK  Thy  aid,  I  ask  direction, 

Teach  me  to  do  what  pleaseth  Thee  ; 

I  can  bear  toil,  endure  affliction. 
Only  Thy  leadings  let  me  see. 

Anon. 

OF  all  paths  a  man  could  strike  into,  there 
is,  at  any  given  moment,  a  best  path  for 
every  man  ;  a  thing  which,  here  and  now, 
it  were  of  all  things  wisest  for  him  to  do ;  which 
could  he  but  be  led  or  driven  to  do,  he  were 
then  doing  "  like  a  man,"  as  we  phrase  it.  His 
success,  in  such  case,  were  complete,  his  felicity 
a  maximum.  This  path,  to  find  this  path,  and 
walk  in  it,  is  the  one  thing  needful  for  him. 

T.  Carlyle. 

Every  man  has  his  own  vocation.  There  is 
one  direction  in  which  all  space  is  open  to  him. 
He  has  faculties  silently  inviting  him  thither  to 
endless  exertion.  He  is  like  a  ship  in  a  river ; 
he  runs  against  obstructions  on  every  side  but 
one ;  on  that  side  all  obstruction  is  taken  away, 
and  he  sweeps  serenely  over  a  deepening  chan- 
nel into  an  infinite  sea. 

R.  W.  Emerson. 


294  October  20 


Be  not  overcome  of  ev'il^  hut  overcome  evil  wito^ 
good.  —  Rom.  xii.  21. 


Come,  in  this  accepted  hour  ; 

Bring  Thy  heavenly  kingdom  in  ; 
Fill  us  with  Thy  glorious  power, 

Rooting  out  the  seeds  of  sin. 

C.  Wesley. 


IF  we  wish  to  overcome  evil,  we  must  over- 
come   it    by    good.      There    are    doubtless 
^  many  ways  of  overcoming  the  evil  in  our 

/     own  hearts,  but  the  simplest,  easiest,  most  uni- 
S    versal,  is  to  overcome  it  by  active  occupation  in 
some  good  word  or  work.     The  best  antidote 
,    against  evil  of  all  kinds,  against  the  evil  thoughts 
(    which  haunt  the  soul,  against  the  needless  per- 
plexities  which   distract    the    conscience,  is    to 
keep    hold    of    the    good    we     have.       Impure 
thoughts  will  not  stand  against  pure  words,  and 
,  prayers,  and  deeds.     Little  doubts  will  not  avail 
against    great    certainties.     Fix  your   affections 
on  things  above,  and  then  you  will  be  less  and 
•N  less  troubled  by  the  cares,  the  temptations,  the 
Jf  troubles  of  things  on  earth. 

A.  P.  Stanley, 


October  21  295 

/  am  the  Almighty  God;  walk  before  me^  and 
be  thou  perfect.  —  Gen.  xvii.  i. 

Consecrate  yourselves  to-day  to  the  Lord.  —  Ex. 
xxxii.  29. 

Take  my  life,  and  let  it  be 
Consecrated,  Lord,  to  Thee. 

Take  my  moments  and  my  days  ; 
Let  them  flow  in  ceaseless  praise. 

F.  R.   Havergal. 

I  HAVE  noticed  that  wherever  there  has  been 
a  faithful  following  of  the  Lord  in  a  con- 
secrated soul,  several  things  have  inevitably 
followed,  sooner  or  later.  Meekness  and  quiet- 
ness of  spirit  become  in  time  the  characteristics 
of  the  daily  life.  A  submissive  acceptance  of 
the  will  of  God  as  it  comes  in  the  hourly  events 
of  each  day  ;  pliability  in  the  hands  of  God  to  do 
or  to  suffer  all  the  good  pleasure  of  His  will ; 
sweetness  under  provocation ;  calmness  in  the 
midst  of  turmoil  and  bustle  ;  yieldingness  to  the 
wishes  of  others,  and  an  insensibility  to  slights 
and  affronts  ;  absence  of  worry  or  anxiety ;  de- 
liverance from  care  and  fear; — all  these,  and 
many  similar  graces,  are  invariably  found  to  be 
the  natural  outward  development  of  that  inward 
life  which  is  hid  with  Christ  in  God. 

H.  W.  Smith. 


296  October  22 


Father^  if  Thou  he  willing^  remove  this  cup 
from  me  •  nevertheless  not  my  will,  but  Thine^ 
be  done.  —  Luke  xxii.  42. 


Just  as  Thou  wilt  is  just  what  I  would  will  j 
Give  me  but  this,  the  heart  to  be  content, 
And,  if  my  wish  is  thwarted,  to  lie  still. 
Waiting  till  puzzle  and  till  pain  are  spent. 
And  the  sweet  thing  made  plain  which  the  Lord  meant. 

Susan  Coolidge. 


LET  your  will  be  one  with  His  will,  and  be 
glad  to  be  disposed  of  by  Him.  He  will 
order  all  things  for  you.  What  can  cross 
your  will,  when  it  is  one  with  His  will,  on  which 
all  creation  hangs,  round  which  all  things  re- 
volve .?  Keep  your  hearts  clear  of  evil  thoughts  ; 
for  as  evil  choices  estrange  the  will  from  His 
will,  so  evil  thoughts  cloud  the  soul,  and  hide 
Him  from  us.  Whatever  sets  us  in  opposition 
to  Him  makes  our  will  an  intolerable  torment. 
So  long  as  we  will  one  thing  and  He  another, 
we  go  on  piercing  ourselves  through  and  through 
with  a  perpetual  wound ;  and  His  will  advances 
moving  on  in  sanctity  and  majesty,  crushing 
ours  into  the  dust. 

H.  E.  Manning. 


October  23  297 

Teach  me  to  do  Thy  will ;  for  Thou  art  my  God : 
Thy  spirit  is  good;  lead  me  into  the  land  of 
uprightness.  —  Ps.  cxliii.  lO. 

The  battle  of  our  life  is  won. 

And  heaven  begun, 
When  we  can  say,  "  Thy  will  be  done  1  *' 
But,  Lord,  until 
These  restless  hearts  in  Thy  deep  love  are  still, 
We  pray  Thee,  "  Teach  us  how  to  do  Thy  will!  " 

Lucy  Larcom. 

""\^OU  are  seeking  your  own  will,  my  daugh- 
\  ter.  You  are  seeking  some  good  other 
than  the  law  you  are  bound  to  obey. 
But  how  will  you  find  good  ?  It  is  not  a  thing 
of  choice;  it  is  a  river  that  flows  from  the  foot 
of  the  Invisible  Throne,  and  flows  by  the  path 
of  obedience.  I  say  again,  man  cannot  choose 
his  duties.  You  may  choose  to  forsake  your 
duties,  and  choose  not  to  have  the  sorrow  they 
bring.  But  you  will  go  forth,  and  what  will 
you  find,  my  daughter  ?  Sorrow  without  duty 
—  bitter  herbs,  and  no  bread  with  them." 

George  Eliot. 

However  dark  and  profitless,  however  pain- 
ful and  weary,  existence  may  have  become, 
life  is  not  done,  and  our  Christian  character  is 
not  won,  so  long  as  God  has  anything  left  for 
us  to  suffer,  or  anything  left  for  us  to  do. 

F.  W.  Robertson. 


298  October  24 

The  Lord  is  my  strength^  and  my  shield ;  my 
heart  trusted  in  Him^  and  I  am  helped :  therefore 
my  heart  greatly  rejoiceth  ;  and  with  my  song  will 
I  praise  Him.  —  Ps.  xxviii.  7. 


Well  may  Thy  happy  children  cease 
From  restless  wishes,  prone  to  sin, 

And,  in  Thy  own  exceeding  peace. 
Yield  to  Thy  daily  discipline. 

A.  L.  Waring. 


TALK  of  hair-cloth  shirts,  and  scourgings, 
and  sleeping  on  ashes,  as  means  of  saint- 
ship  !  there  is  no  need  of  them  in  our 
country.  Let  a  woman  once  look  at  her  do- 
mestic trials  as  her  hair-cloth,  her  ashes,  her 
scourges,  —  accept  them,  —  rejoice  in  them,  — 
smile  and  be  quiet,  silent,  patient,  and  loving 
under  them,  —  and  the  convent  can  teach  her 
no  more ;  she  is  a  victorious  saint. 

H.  B.  Stowe. 

Perhaps  it  is  a  greater  energy  of  Divine 
Providence,  which  keeps  the  Christian  from  day 
to  day,  from  year  to  year  —  praying,  hoping, 
running,  believing  —  against  all  hindrances  — 
which  -maintains  him  as  a  living  martyr,  than 
that  which  bears  him  up  for  an  hour  in  sacrific- 
ing himself  at  the  stake. 

R.  Cecil 


October  25  299 

For  I  am  persuaded  that  neither  death^  nor  life^  y^ 

nor  angels^  nor  principalities^,  nor  powers^  nor  things  j 

present^  nor  things  to  come^  nor  height^  nor  depth^  ) 

nor  any  other  creature,  shall  be  able  to  separate  us  > 

from  the  love  of  God,  which  is  in  Christ  Jesus  our  * 
I/>rd.  —  Rom.  viii.  38,  39. 


I  KNOW  not  what  the  future  hath 

Of  marvel  or  surprise, 
Assured  alone  that  life  and  death 

His  mercy  underlies. 

J.  G.  Whittier. 


BE  of  good  faith,  my  dear  Friends,  look  not 
out  at  any  thing ;  fear  none  of  those 
things  ye  may  be  exposed  to  suffer,  either 
outwardly  or  inwardly  ;  but  trust  the  Lord  over 
all,  and  your  life  will  spring,  and  grow,  and 
refresh  you,  and  ye  will  learn  obedience  and 
faithfulness  daily  more  and  more,  even  by  your 
exercises  and  sufferings ;  yea,  the  Lord  will 
teach  you  the  very  mystery  of  faith  and  obedi- 
ence ;  the  wisdom,  power,  love,  and  goodness 
of  the  Lord  ordering  every  thing  for  you,  and 
ordering  ^o«r  hearts  in  every  thing. 

1.     1*ENINUTCN. 


300  October  26 

Turn  you  to  the  strong  hold^  ye  prisoners  of  hope, 

—  Zech.  ix.  12. 

O  POWER  to  do  ;  O  baffled  will  !  ^ 

O  prayer  and  action  !  ye  are  one. 

Who  may  not  strive,  may  yet  fulfil 

The  harder  task  of  standing  still. 

And  good  but  wished  with  God  is  done. 

J.     G.    W  HITTIER. 

THAT  God  has  circumscribed  our  life  may 
add  a  peculiar  element  of  trial,  but  often 
it  defines  our  way  and  cuts  ofF  many 
tempting  possibilities  that  perplex  the  free  and 
the  strong ;  whilst  it  leaves  intact  the  whole 
body  of  spiritual  reality,  with  the  Beatitude 
thereon,  "  that  if  we  know  these  things,  happy 
are  we  if  we  do  them."  We  know  that  God 
orders  the  lot ;  and  to  meet  it  with  the  energies 
it  requires  and  permits,  neither  more  nor  less, 

—  to  fill  it  at  every  available  point  with  the 
light  and  action  of  an  earnest  and  spiritually 
inventive  mind,  though  its  scene  be  no  wider 
than  a  sick  chamber,  and  its  action  narrowed 
to  patient  suffering,  and  gentle,  cheerful  words, 
and  all  the  light  it  can  emit  the  thankful  quiel 
of  a  trustful  eye,  —  without  chafing  as  though 
God  had  misjudged  our  sphere,  and  placed  us 
wrong,  and  did  not  know  where  we  could  best 
serve  Him,  — this  is  what,  in  that  condition,  we 
have  to  do  J.  H.  Thom, 


October  27  301 

Therefore  I  take  pleasure  in  injirtnities^  in  re- 
proaches^  in  necessities^  in  persecutions^  in  distresses 
for  Christ's  sake  :  for  when  I  am  weak^  then  am 
I  strong.  —  2  Cor.  xii.  lo. 

Whate'er  God  does  is  well  .' 

In  patience  let  us  wait  5 

He  doth  Himself  our  burdens  bear,  • 

He  doth  for  us  take  care, 
And  He,  our  God,  knows  all  our  weary  days. 

Come,  give  Him  praise. 

B.    SCHMOLCK. 

NOTHING  else  but  this  seeing  God  ins 
everything  will  make  us  loving  and  V 
patient  with  those  who  annoy  and 
trouble  us.  They  will  be  to  us  then  only  the 
instruments  for  accomplishing  His  tender  and 
wise  purposes  towards  us,  and  we  shall  even 
find  ourselves  at  last  inwardly  thanking  them 
for  the  blessings  they' bring  us.  Nothing  else 
will  completely  put  an  end  to  all  murmuring  or 
rebelling  thoughts.  H.  W.  Smith. 

The  subjection  of  the  will  is  accomplished  by 
calmly  resigning  thyself  in  everything  that  in- 
ternally or  externally  vexes  thee ;  for  it  is  thus 
only  that  the  soul  is  prepared  for  the  reception 
of  divine  influences.  Prepare  the  heart  like 
clean  paper,  and  the  Divine  Wisdom  will  im- 
print on  it  characters  to  His  own  liking. 

M.  DE  Mqlinos. 


302  October  28 

/  know  the  thoughts  that  I  think  toward  you^ 
saith  the  Lord^  thoughts  of  peace^  and  not  of  evil^ 
to  give  you  an  expected  end.  —  Jer.  xxix.  1 1 . 


Thy  thoughts  are  good,  and  Thou  art  kind. 

E'en  when  we  think  it  not ; 
How  many  an  anxious,  faithless  mind    . 

Sits  grieving  o'er  its  lot. 
And  frets,  and  pines  by  day  and  night, 
As  God  had  lost  it  out  of  sight, 

And  all  its  wants  forgot. 

P.  Gerhardt. 

YOU  are  never  to  complain  of  your  birth, 
your  training,  your  employments,  your 
hardships ;  never  to  fancy  that  you  could 
be  something  if  only  you  had  a  different  lot  and 
sphere  assigned  you.  God  understands  His 
own  plan,  and  He  knows  what  you  want  a 
great  deal  better  than  you  do.  The  very  things 
that  you  most  deprecate,  as  fatal  limitations  or 
obstructions,  are  probably  what  you  most  want. 
What  you  call  hindrances,  obstacles,  discourage- 
ments, are  probably  God's  opportunities.  Bring 
down  your  soul,  or,  rather,  bring  it  up  to  receive 
God's  will  and  do  His  work,  in  your  lot,  in 
your  sphere,  under  your  cloud  of  obscurity, 
against  your  temptations,  and  then  you  shall 
find  that  your  condition  is  never  opposed  to 
your  good,  but  really  consistent  with  it. 

H.    BuSHNELL. 


October  29  303 

Behold^  I  have  refined  thee^  hut  not  with  silver ; 
I  have  chosen  thee  in  the  furnace  of  ajffiiction.  — 
IsA.  xlvili.  10. 

Be  patient,  suffering  soul  !  I  hear  thy  cry. 

The  trial  fires  may  glow,  but  I  am  nigh. 
I  see  the  silver,  and  I  will  refine 
Until  My  image  shall  upon  it  shine. 

Fear  not,  for  I  am  near,  thy  help  to  be  ; 

Greater  than  all  thy  pain,  My  love  for  thee. 

H.    W.   C. 

GOD  takes  a  thousand  times  more  pains 
with  us  than  the  artist  with  his  picture, 
by  many  touches  of  sorrow,  and  by 
many  colors  of  circumstance,  to  bring  man  into 
the  form  which  is  the  highest  and  noblest  in 
His  sight,  if  only  we  received  His  gifts  and 
myrrh  in  the  right  spirit.  But  when  the  cup 
is  put  away,  and  these  feelings  are  stifled  or 
unheeded,  a  greater  injury  is  done  to  the  soul 
than  can  ever  be  amended.  For  no  heart  can 
conceive  in  what  surpassing  love  God  giveth  us 
this  myrrh ;  yet  this  which  we  ought  to  receive 
to  our  soul's  good,  we  suffer  to  pass  by  us  in 
our  sleepy  indifference,  and  nothing  comes  of 
it.  Then  we  come  and  complain  :  "  Alas, 
Lord  !  I  am  so  dry,  and  it  is  so  dark  within 
me ! "  I  tell  thee,  dear  child,  open  thy  heart  to 
the  pain,  and  it  will  do  thee  more  good  than  if 
thou  wert  full  of  feeling  and  devoutness. 

J.  Tauler. 


304  October  30 

That  good  thing  which  was  committed  unto  thee 
keep  by  the  Holy  Ghost  which  dwelleth  in  us.  — 
2  Tim.  i.  14. 

Oh  that  the  Comforter  would  conie  ! 

Nor  visit  as  a  transient  guest, 
But  fix  in  me  His  constant  home, 

And  keep  possession  of  my  breast : 
And  make  my  soul  His  loved  abode, 
The  temple  of  indwelling  God  ! 

C.  Wesley. 

THY  spirit  should   become,  while  yet   on 
earth,  the  peaceful  throne  of  the  Divine 
Being ;    think,    then,    how     quiet,    how 
gentle  and  pure,  how  reverent,  thou  shouldst  be. 

Gerhard  Tersteegen. 

I  CANNOT  tell  you  how  much  I  love  you. 
But  that  which  of  all  things  I  have  most  at 
heart,  with  regard  to  you,  is  the  real  progress  of 
your  soul  in  the  divine  life.  Heaven  seems  to 
be  awakened  in  you.  It  is  a  tender  plant.  It 
requires  stillness,  meekness,  and  the  unity  of  the 
heart,  totally  given  up  to  the  unknown  workings 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  which  will  do  all  its  work 
in  the  calm  soul,  that  has  no  hunger  or  desire 
but  to  escape  out  of  the  mire  of  its  earthly  life 
into  its  lost  union  and  life  in  God.  I  mention 
this,  out  of  a  fear  of  your  giving  in  to  an  eager- 
ness about  many  things,  which,  though  seem- 
ingly innocent,  yet  divide  and  weaken  the 
workings  of  the  divine  life  within  you. 

Wm.   Law, 


October  31  305 

And  Enoch  walked  with  God :  and  he  was  not ; 
for  God  took  him.  —  Gen.  v,  24. 


Oh  for  a  closer  walk  with  God, 

A  calm  and  heavenly  frame  ; 
A  light  to  shine  upon  the  road 

That  leads  me  to  the  Lamb! 

W.    COWPER. 


IS  it  possible  for  any  of  us  in  these  modern 
days  to  so  live  that  we  may  walk  with  God  ? 
Can  we  walk  with  God  in  the  shop,  in  the 
office,  in  the  household,  and  on  the  street? 
When  men  exasperate  us,  and  work  wearies  us, 
and  the  children  fret,  and  the  servants  annoy, 
and  our  best-laid  plans  fall  to  pieces,  and  our 
castles  in  the  air  are  dissipated  like  bubbles  that 
break  at  a  breath,  then  can  we  walk  with  God  ? 
That  religion  which  fails  us  in  the  every-day 
trials  and  experiences  of  life  has  somewhere  in 
it  a  flaw.  It  should  be  more  than  a  plank  to 
sustain  us  in  the  rushing  tide,  and  land  us  ex- 
hausted and  dripping  on  the  other  side.  It 
ought,  if  it  come  from  above,  to  be  always,  day 
by  day,  to  our  souls  as  the  wings  of  a  bird,  bear- 
ing us  away  from  and  beyond  the  impediments 
which  seek  to  hold  us  down.  If  the  Divine 
Love  be  a  conscious  presence,  an  indwelling 
force  with  us,  it  will  do  this. 

Christian  Union. 


3o6  November  i 

Of  whom  the  whole  family  in  heaven  and  earth 
is  named.  —  Eph.  iii.  15. 


One  family,  we  dwell  in  Him  ; 

One  church  above,  beneath  ; 
Though  now  divided  by  the  stream,  — 

The  narrow  stream  of  death. 

One  army  of  the  living  God, 

To  His  command  we  bow  : 
I  Part  of  His  host  has  crossed  the  flood. 

And  part  is  crossing  now. 

C.  Wesley. 


LET  us,  then,  learn  that  we  can  never  be 
lonely  or  forsaken  in  this  life.  Shall  they 
forget  us  because  they  are  "  made  per- 
fect "  ?  Shall  they  love  us  the  less  because  they 
now  have  power  to  love  us  more  ?  If  we  forget 
them  not,  shall  they  not  remember  us  with  God  .? 
No  trial,  then,  can  isolate  us,  no  sorrow  can 
cut  us  off  from  the  Communion  of  Saints. 
Kneel  down,  and  you  are  with  them ;  lift  up 
your  eyes,  and  the  heavenly  world,  high  above 
all  perturbation,  hangs  serenely  overhead  ;  only  a 
thin  veil,  it  may  be,  floats  between.  All  whom 
we  loved,  and  all  who  loved  us,  whom  we  still 
love  no  less,  while  they  love  us  yet  more,  are 
ever  near,  because  ever  in  His  presence  in  whom 
we  live  and  dwell. 

H.  E.   Manning. 


November  2  307 

Wherefore  seeing  we  also  are  compassed  about 
with  so  great  a  cloud  of  witnesses^  let  us  lay  aside 
every  weighty  and  the  sin  which  doth  so  easily  beset 
us,  and  let  us  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set 
before  us.  —  Heb.  xii.  i. 

When  the  powers  of  hell  prevail 
O'er  our  weakness  and  unfitness. 

Could  we  lift  the  fleshly  veil, 
Could  we  for  a  moment  witness 

Those  unnumbered  hosts  that  stand 

Calm  and  bright  on  either  hand  ; 

Oh,  what  joyful  hope  would  cheer. 

Oh,  what  faith  serene  would  guide  us  ! 

Great  may  be  the  danger  near, 

Greater  are  the  friends  beside  us.         Anon. 

WE  are  compassed  about  by  a  cloud  of 
witnesses,  whose  hearts  throb  in  sym- 
pathy with  every  effort  and  struggle, 
and  who  thrill  with  joy  at  every  success.  How 
should  this  thought  check  and  ^rebuke  every 
worldly  feeling  and  unworthy  purpose,  and  en- 
shrine us,  in  the  midst  of  a  forgetful  and  un- 
spiritual  world,  with  an  atmosphere  of  heavenly 
peace  !  They  have  overcome  —  have  risen  — 
are  crowned,  glorified ;  but  still  they  remain  to 
us,  our  assistants,  our  comforters,  and  in  every 
hour  of  darkness  their  voice  speaks  to  us  :  "  So 
we  grieved,  so  we  struggled,  so  we  fainted,  so 
we  doubled  j  but  we  have  overcome,  we  have 
obtiiined,  we  have  seen,  we  have  found,  —  and 
in  our  victory  behold  the  certainty  of  thy  own." 

H.  B.  Stowe 


3o8  November  3 

Wherefore  putting  away  lyings  speak  every  man 
truth  with  his  neighbor:  for  we  are  members  one 
of  another,  —  EPH.  iv.  25. 

In  conversation  be  sincere  ;. 
Keep  conscience  as  the  noontide  clear  j 
Think  how  All-seeing  God  thy  ways 
And  all  thy  secret  thoughts  surveys. 

Thomas  Ken. 


THE  essence  of  lying  is  in  deception,  not 
in  words  j  a  lie  may  be  told  by  silence, 
by  equivocation,  by  the  accent  on  a  syl- 
lable, by  a  glance  of  the  eye  attaching  a  peculiar 
significance  to  a  sentence ;  and  all  these  kinds 
of  lies  are  worse  and  baser  by  many  degrees  than 
a  lie  plainly  worded  ;  so  that  no  form  of  blinded 
conscience  is  so  far  sunk  as  that  which  comforts 
itself  for  having  deceived  because  the  deception 
was  by  gesture  or  silence,  instead  of  utterance. 

J.    RUSKIN. 

He  that  is  habituated  to  deceptions  and  artifi- 
cialities in  trifles,  will  try  in  vain  to  be  true  in 
matters  of  importance ;  for  truth  is  a  thing  of 
habit  rather  than  of  will.  You  cannot  in  any 
given  case  by  any  sudden  and  single  effort  will 
to  be  true,  if  the  habit  of  your  life  has  been 
insincerity. 

,  F.     W.    RuUhKTSON. 


November  4  309 

A  soft  answer  turneth  away  wrath  :  hut  griev- 
§us  words  stir  up  anger.  —  Pro  v.  xv.  i. 

Doest  thou  well  to  be  angry  f  —  JoNAH  iv.  4. 

Renew  Thine  image,  Lord,  in  me, 
Lowly  and  gentle  may  I  be  j 

No  charms  but  these  to  Thee  are  dear  ) 
No  anger  mayst  Thou  ever  find, 
No  pride  in  my  unruffled  mind, 

But  faith,  and  heaven-born  peace  be  there. 

P.  Gerhardt. 

NEITHER  say  nor  do  aught  displeasing  to 
thy   neighbor ;    and    if  thou    hast   been 
wanting  in  charity,  seek  his  forgiveness, 
or  speak  to  him  with  gentleness.     Speak  always 
with  mildness  and  in  a  low  tone  of  voice. 

L.   SCUPOLI. 

Injuries  hurt  not  more  in  the  receiving  than 
in  the  remembrance.  A  small  injury  shall  go 
as  it  comes ;  a  great  injury  may  dine  or  sup  with 
me  j  but  none  at  all  shall  lodge  with  me.  Why 
should  I  vex  myself  because  another  hath  vexed 
me  ?  Grief  for  things  past  that  cannot  be  rem- 
edied, and  care  for  things  to  come  that  cannot 
be  prevented,  may  easily  hurt,  can  never  benefit 
me.  I  will  therefore  commit  myself  to  God  in 
both,  and  enjoy  the  present. 

Joseph  Halu 


3IO  November  5 


The   temple  of  God  is  holy^  which    temple  yt 
are.  —  I  Cor.  iii.  17. 


Now  shed  Thy  mighty  influence  abroad 
On  souls  that  would  their  Father's  image  bear  ; 
Make  us  as  holy  temples  of  our  God, 
Where  dwells  forever  calm,  adoring  prayer. 

C.  J.  P.  Spitta. 


THIS  pearl  of  eternity  is  the  church  or 
temple  of  God  within  thee,  the  conse- 
crated place  of  divine  worship,  where 
alone  thou  canst  worship  God  in  spirit  and 
in  truth.  When  once  thou  art  well  grounded 
in  this  inward  worship,  thou  wilt  have  learned 
to  live  unto  God  above  time  and  place.  For 
every  day  will  be  Sunday  to  thee,  and,  wherever 
thou  goest,  thou  wilt  have  a  priest,  a  church, 
and  an  altar  along  with  thee.  For  when  God 
has  all  that  He  should  have  of  thy  heart,  when 
thou  art  wholly  given  up  to  the  obedience  of 
the  light  and  spirit  of  God  within  thee,  to  will 
only  in  His  will,  to  love  only  in  His  love,  to  be 
wise  only  in  His  wisdom,  then  it  is  that  eveiy- 
thing  thou  dost  is  as  a  song  of  praise,  and  the 
common  business  of  thy  life  is  a  conforming  to 
God's  will  on  earth  as  angels  do  in  heaven. 

Wm.  Law. 


November  6  311 

He  will  fulfil  the  desire  of  them  that  fear  Him  : 
He  also  will  hear  their  cry^  and  will  save  them.  — 
Ps.  cxlv.  19. 

Delight  thyself  also  in  the  Lord;  and  He  shall 
give  thee  the  desires  of  thine  heart.  —  Ps.  xxxvii.  4. 


Though  to-day  may  not  fulfil 
All  thy  hopes,  have  patience  still  ) 
For  perchance  to-morrow's  sun 
Sees  thy  happier  days  begun. 

P.  Gerhardt. 


HIS  great  desire  and  delight  is  God ;  and 
by  desiring  and  delighting,  he  hath  Him. 
Delight  thou  in  the  Lord^  and  He  shall  give 
thee  thy  heart's  desire^ —  Himself;  and  then  surely 
thou  shalt  have  all.     Any  other  thing  commit  it 
to  Him,  and  He  shall  bring  it  to  pass. 

R.  Leighton. 


All  who  call  on  God  in  true  faith,  earnestly 
from  the  heart,  will  certainly  be  heard,  and  will 
receive  what  they  have  aslced  and  desired, 
although  not  in  the  hour  or  in  the  measure,  or 
the  very  thing  which  they  ask ;  yet  they  will 
obtain  something  greater  and  more  glorious  than 
they  had  dared  to  ask. 

Martin  Luther, 


312  November  7 

\      /  was  not  disobedient  unto  the  heavenly  vision.  — 
JAcTS  xxvi.  19. 

The  Lord  our  God  will  we  serve^  and  His  voice 
will  we  obey.  —  Josh.  xxiv.  24, 


I  WILL  shun  no  toil  or  woe, 
Where  Thou  leadest  I  will  go. 

Be  my  pathway  plain  or  rough  ) 
If  but  every  hour  may  be 
Spent  in  work  that  pleases  Thee, 

Ah,  dear  Lord,  it  is  enough  ! 

G.  Tersteegen. 


ALL  these  longings  and  doubts,  and  this  in- 
ward distress,  are  the  voice  of  the  Good 
Shepherd  in  your  heart,  seeking  to  call 
you  out  of  all  that  is  contrary  to  His  will.     Oh, 
let  me  entreat  of  you  not  to  turn  away  from 
His  gentle  pleadings. 

H.  W.  Smith. 

The  fear  of  man  brings  a  snare.  By  halting 
m  our  duty  and  giving  back  in  the  time  of  trial, 
our  hands  grow  weaker,  our  ears  grow  dull  as 
to  hearing  the  language  of  the  true  Shepherd; 
so  that  when  we  look  at  the  way  of  the  right- 
eous, it  seems  as  though  it  was  not  for  us  to 
follow  them. 

J,    WOOLMAN. 


November  8  313 

Lo^  I  come  to  do  Thy  will,  O  God.  —  Heb.  x.  9. 

Teach    me  to   do    Thy  will,  for   Thou  art  my 
God.  —  Ps.  cxliii.  10. 


Lo  !   I  come  with  joy  to  do 

The  Father's  blessed  will  ; 
Him  in  outward  works  pursue, 

And  serve  His  pleasure  still. 
Faithful  to  my  Lord's  commands, 

I  still  would  choose  the  better  part ; 
Serve  with  careful  Martha's  hands. 

And  loving  Mary's  heart. 

C.  Wesley. 

A  SOUL  cannot  be  regarded  as  truly  sub- 
dued and  consecrated  in  its  will,  and  as 
having  passed  into  union  with  the  Divine 
will,  until  it  has  a  disposition  to  do  promptly 
and  faithfully  all  that  God  requires,  as  well  as 
to  endure  patiently  and  thankfully  all  that  He 
imposes.  T.   C.  Upham. 

When  we  have  learned  to  offer  up  every  duty 
connected  with  our  situation  in  life  as  a  sacrifice 
to  God,  a  settled  employment  becomes  just  a 
settled  habit  of  prayer.  Thomas  Erskine. 

''  Do  the  duty  which  lies  nearest  thee"  whicm 
thou  knowest  to  be  a  duty.  Thy  second  dutjs 
will  already  have  become  clearer.      T.  Carlyle/ 


314  November  g 

Say  not  thou^  I  will  hide  myself  from  the  Lord: 
shall  any  remember  me  from  above  ?  I  shall  not 
he  remembered  among  so  many  people  :  for  what 
is  my  soul  among  such  an  infinite  number  of 
creatures  f  —EccLESiASTicvs  xvi.  17. 


Among  so  many,  can  He  care  ? 
Can  special  love  be  everywhere  ? 
A  myriad  homes,  —  a  myriad  ways,  — 
And  God's  eye  over  every  place  ? 

I  asked  :  my  soul  bethought  of  this  ;  — 
In  just  that  very  place  of  His 
Where  He  hath  put  and  keepeth  you, 
God  hath  no  other  thing  to  do  ! 

A.  D.  T.  Whitney 


GIVE  free  and  bold  play  to  those  instincts 
of  the  heart  which  believe  that  the  Cre- 
ator must  care  for  the  creatures  He  has 
made,  and  that  the  only  real  effective  care  for 
them  must  be  that  which  takes  each  of  them 
into  His  love,  and  knowing  it  separately  sur- 
rounds it  with  His  separate  sympathy.  There 
is  not  one  life  which  the  Life-giver  ever  loses 
out  of  His  sight;  not  one  which  sins  so  that  He 
casts  it  away ;  not  one  which  is  not  so  near  to 
Him  that  whatever  touches  it  tour  hes  Him  with 
sorrow  or  with  joy. 

Phillips  Brooks. 


November  lo  315 

In  Him  we  live^  and  move^  and  have  our  being. 
—  Acts  xvii.  28. 


Whither  shall  I  go  from  Thy  spirit?  or  whither 
shall  I  flee  from.   Thy  presence  ?  —  Ps.  cxxxix.  7. 


Yea  !  In  Thy  life  our  little  lives  are  ended, 
Into  Thy  depths  our  trembling  spirits  fall  ; 

In  Thee  enfolded,  gathered,  comprehended. 

As  holds  the  sea  her  waves  —  Thou  hold'st  us  all. 

E.    SCUDDER. 


WHERE  then  is  our  God  ?  You  say,  He 
is  everywhere :  then  show  me  anywhere 
that  you  have  met  Him.  You  declare 
Him  everlasting :  then  tell  me  any  moment  that 
He  has  been  with  you.  You  believe  Him  ready 
to  succor  them  that  are  tempted,  and  to  lift  those 
that  are  bowed  down  :  then  in  what  passionate 
hour  did  you  subside  into  His  calm  grace  ?  in 
what  sorrow  lose  yourself  in  His  "  more  exceed- 
ing "  joy  ?  These  are  the  testing  questions  by 
which  we  may  learn  whether  we  too  have  raised 
our  altar  to  an  "  unknown  God  "  and  pay  the 
worship  of  the  blind ;  or  whether  we  commune 
with  Him  "  in  whom  we  live,  and  move,  and 
have  our  being." 

J.   Martin  EAU. 


3i6  November  ii 

Walk  worthy  of  the  Lord  unto  all  pleasing^ 
being  fruitful  in  every  good  ivork^  and  increas- 
ing in  the  knowledge  of  God;  strengthened  witi? 
all  mighty  according  to  His  glorious  power ^  unt' 
all  patience  and  longsuffering  with  joyfulness.  — 
Col.  i.  lo,  ii. 


To  be  the  thing  we  seem, 
To  do  the  thing  we  deem 

Enjoined  by  duty  ; 
To  walk  in  faith,  nor  dream 
Of  questioning  God's  scheme 

Of  truth  and  beauty. 

Anon. 


TO  shape  the  whole  Future  is  not  our  prob- 
lem ;  but  only  to  shape  faithfully  a  small 
part  of  it,  according  to  rules  already 
known.  It  is  perhaps  possible  for  each  of  us, 
who  will  with  due  earnestness  inquire,  to  ascer- 
tain clearly  what  he,  for  his  own  part,  ought  to 
do;  this  let  him,  with  true  heart,  do,  and  con- 
tinue doing.  The  general  issue  will,  as  it  has 
always  done,  rest  well  with  a  Higher  Intelligence 
than  ours.  This  day  thou  knowest  ten  com- 
manded duties,  seest  in  thy  mind  ten  things 
which  should  be  done  for  one  that  thou  doest ! 
Do  one  of  them ;  this  of  itself  will  show  thee 
ten  others  which  can  and  shall  be  done. 

T.  Carlyle. 


November  12  317 

/  must  work  the  works  of  Htm  that  sent  me^ 
while  it  is  day :  the  night  conieth^  when  no  man 
can  work.  —  John  ix.  4. 

Wherefore  have  ye  not  fulfilled  your  task  ?  — 
Ex.  V.  14. 

He  who  intermits 
The  appointed  task  and  duties  of  the  day 
Untunes  full  oft  the  pleasures  of  the  day  ; 
Checking  the  finer  spirits  that  refuse 
To  flow,  when  purposes  are  lightly  changed. 

W.  Wordsworth. 

BY  putting  off  things  beyond  their  proper 
times,  one  duty  treads  upon  the  heels  of 
another,  and  all  duties  are  felt  as  irksome 
obligations, — a  yoke  beneath  which  we  fret  and 
lose  our  peace.  In  most  cases  the  consequence 
of  this  is,  that  we  have  no  time  to  do  the  work 
as  it  ought  to  be  done.  It  is  therefore  done 
precipitately,  with  eagerness,  with  a  greater  desire 
simply  to  get  it  done,  than  to  do  it  well,  and 
with  very  little  thought  of  God  throughout. 

F.  W.  Faber. 

Sufficient  for  each  day  is  the  good  thereof, S 
equally  as  the  evil.  We  must  do  at  once,  and  s 
with  our  might,  the  merciful  deed  that  our  hand  S 
findeth  to  do,  —  else  it  will  never  be  done,  for  j 
the  hand  will  find  other  tasks,  and  the  arrears'^ 
fall  through.  And  every  unconsummated  good 
feeling,  every  unfulfilled  purpose  that  His  spirit  { 
has  prompted,  shall  one  day  charge  us  as  faith-  s 
less  and  recreant  before  God.  J.  H.  Thom.  7 


3i8  November  13 

Blessed  is  the  man  whom  Thou  chastenest^  O 
Lord^  and  teaches t  him  out  of  Thy  law.  — Ps. 
xciv.  12. 

[      Truly  this  is  a  griefs  and  1  must  hear  it. — Jer. 
[x.  19. 

Hold  in  thy  murmurs,  heaven  arraigning  ! 

The  patient  see  God's  loving  face  ; 
Who  bear  their  burdens  uncomplaining, 

'T  is  they  that  v?in  the  Father's  grace. 

Anon. 

DO  not   run  to  this  and   that   for  comfort 
when  you  are  in  trouble,  but  bear  it.      Be 
uncomfortably  quiet  —  be  uneasily  siltnt 
—  be  patiently  unhappy.  J.  P.   Greaves. 

Hard  words  will  vex ;  unkindness  will  pierce  ; 
neglect  will  wound  ;  threatened  evils  will  make 
the  soul  quiver ;  sharp  pain  or  weariness  will 
rack  the  body,  or  make  it  restless.  But  what 
says  the  Psalmist  ?  "When  my  heart  is  vexed, 
I  will  complain."  To  whom  ]  Not  o/'God,  but 
to  God.  E.  B.  PusEY. 

Surely,  I  have  thought,  I  do  not  want  to 
have  a  grief  which  would  not  be  a  grief.  I  feel 
that  I  shall  be  able  to  take  up  my  cross  in  a 
religious  spirit  soon,  and  then  it  will  be  all  right. 

James  Hinton. 


November  14  319 

Thou  art  my  servant :  I  have  formed  thee ;  thou 
art  my  servant :  O  Israel^  thou  shalt  not  be  for-- 
gotten  of  me.  —  Isa.  xliv.  21. 

Oh,  give  Thy  servant  patience  to  be  still. 

And  bear  Thy  will ; 
Courage  to  venture  wholly  on  the  arm 

That  will  not  harm  ; 
The  wisdom  that  will  never  let  me  stray 

Out  of  my  way  ; 
The  love,  that,  now  afflicting,  knoweth  best 

When  I  should  rest. 

J.  M.  Neale 

SUPPOSING  that  you  were  never  to  be  set 
free  from  such  trials,  what  would  you  do  ? 
You  would  say  to  God,  "  I  am  Thine  — 
if  my  trials  are  acceptable  to  Thee,  give  me 
more  and  more."  I  have  full  confidence  that 
this  is  what  you  would  say,  and  then  you  would 
not  think  more  of  it  —  at  any  rate,  you  would 
not  be  anxious.  Well,  do  the  same  now.  Make ' 
friends  with  your  trials,  as  though  you  were* 
always  to  live  together ;  and  you  will  see  that 
when  you  cease  to  take  thought  for  your  own 
deliverance,  God  will  take  thought  for  you ;  and 
when  you  cease  to  help  yourself  eagerly,  He  will 
help  you. 

St,  Francis  de  Sales. 

Ah,  if  you  knew  what  peace  there  is  m  an 
accepted  sorrow  !  Madame  GuyoN. 


320  November  15 


Fear  thou  not ;  for  I  am  with  thee :  be  not  dis- 
mayed ;  for  I  am  thy  God :  I  will  strengthen  thee ; 
yea,  I  will  help  thee ;  yea,,  I  will  uphold  thee  with 
the  right  hand  of  my  righteousness.  —  Is  A.  xli.  lO. 


Lord,  be  Thou  near  and  cheer  my  lonely  way  ; 
With  Thy  sweet  peace  my  aching  bosom  fill  } 
Scatter  my  cares  and  fears  ;  my  griefs  allay, 

And  be  it  mine  each  day 

To  love  and  please  Thee  still. 

P.  CORNEILLE. 


WHAT  if  the  wicked  nature,  which  is  as  a 
sea  casting  out  mire  and  dirt,  rage 
against  thee  ?  There  is  a  river,  a 
sweet,  still,  flowing  river,  the  streams  whereof 
will  make  glad  thy  heart.  And,  learn  but  in 
quietness  and  stillness  to  retire  to  the  Lord,  and 
wait  upon  Him  ;  in  whom  thou  shalt  feel  peace 
and  joy,  in  the  midst  of  thy  trouble  from  the 
cruel  and  vexatious  spirit  of  this  world.  So, 
wait  to  know  thy  work  and  service  to  the  Lord 
every  day,  in  thy  place  and  station  ;  and  the 
Lord  make  thee  faithful  therein,  and  thou  wilt 
want  neither  help,  support,  nor  comfort. 

I,  Penington. 


Wovember  iG  j2i 


Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  perfect  peace^  whose  mind 
is  stayed  on  Thee  :  because  he  trusteth  in  Thee.  — 
IsA.  xxvi.  3. 


What  comforts,  Lord,  to  those  are  given. 
Who  seek  in  Thee  their  home  and  rest  ! 

They  find  on  earth  an  opening  heaven. 
And  in  Thy  peace  are  amply  blest. 

W.  C.  Desslev 


GOD  is  a  tranquil  Being,  and  abides  in  a 
tranquil  eternity.  So  must  thy  spirit 
become  a  tranquil  and  clear  little  pool, 
wherein  the  serene  light  of  God  can  be  mir- 
rored. Therefore  shun  all  that  is  disquieting 
and  distracting,  both  within  and  without. 
(_Nothing  in  the  whole  world  is  worth  the  loss 
of  thy  peacej)  even  the  faults  which  thou  hast 
committed  should  only  humble,  but  not  disquiet 
thee.  God  is  full  of  joy,  peace,  and  happiness. 
Endeavor  then  to  obtain  a  continually  joyful 
and  peaceful  spirit.  Avoid  all  anxious  care, 
vexation,  murmuring,  and  jnelancholy,  which 
darken  thy  soul,  and  render  thee  unfit  for  the 
friendship  of  God.  If  thou  dost  perceive  such 
feelings  arising,  turn  gently  away  from  them. 

G.  Tersteegen. 


32)2  November  17 

Every  day  will  I  bless    Thee ;  and  I  will  praise 
Thy  name  for  ever  and  ever^  —  Ps.  cxlv.  2. 

Commit    thy    works    unto     the    Lord^    and   thy 
thoughts  shall  he  established.  —  Prov.  xvi.  3. 

Lord,  I  my  vows  to  Thee  renew  ; 
Disperse  my  sins  as  morning  dew  ; 
Guard  my  first  springs  of  thought  and  will, 
And  with  Thyself  my  spirit  fill. 

Thomas  Ken. 

MORNING  by  morning  think,  for  a  few 
moments,  of  the  chief  employments  of 
the  day,  any  one  thing  of  greater  mo. 
ment  than  others,  thine  own  especial  trial,  any 
occasions  of  it  which  are  likely  to  come  that 
day,  and  by  one  short  strong  act  commend  thy- 
self beforehand  in  all  to  God ;  offer  all  thy 
thoughts,  words,  and  deeds  to  Him  —  to  be 
governed,  guided,  accepted  by  Him.  Choose 
some  great  occasions  of  the  day,  such  as  bring 
with  them  most  trial  to  thee,  on  which._  above 
others,  to  commend  thyself  to  God. 

E.  B.  PusEv. 

Will  you  not,  before  venturing  away  from 
your  early  quiet  hour,  "commit  thy  works"  to' 
Him  definitely,  the  special  things  you  have  to 
do  to-day,  and  the  unforeseen  work  which  He 
may  add  in  the.  course  of  it  ? 

F.  R.  Havergai,. 


November  i8  323 

Hereby  know  we  that  we  dwell  in  Him^  and 
He  in  us^  because  He  hath  given  us  of  His  Spirit. 
—  I  John  iv.  13. 

Within  !  within,  oh  turn 

Thy  spirit's  eyes,  and  learn 
Thy  wandering  senses  gently  to  control  j 
Thy  dearest  Friend  dwells  deep  within  thy  soul, 

And  asks  thyself  of  thee, 
That  heart,  and  mind,  and  sense,  He  may  make  whole 

In  perfect  harmony. 

G.  Tersteegen. 

WAIT  patiently,  trust  humbly,  depend 
only  upon,  seek  solely  to  a  God  of 
Light  and  Love,  of  Mercy  and  Good- 
ness, of  Glory  and  Majesty,  ever  dwelling  in 
the  inmost  depth  and  spirit  of  your  soul.  There 
you  have  all. the  secret,  hidden,  invisible  Up- 
holder of  all  the  creation,  whose  blessed  opera- 
tion will  always  be  found  by  a  humble,  faithful, 
loving,  calm,  patient  introversion  of  your  heart 
to  Him,  who  has  His  hidden  heaven  within 
you,  and  which  will  open  itself  to  you,  as  soon 
as  your  heart  is  left  wholly  to  His  eternal,  ever- 
speaking  Word,  and  ever-sanctifying  Spirit  within 
you.  Beware  of  all  eagerness  and  activity  of 
your  own  natural  spirit  and  temper.  Run  not 
in  any  hasty  ways  of  your  own.  Be  patient 
under  the  sense  of  your  own  vanity  and  weak- 
ness;  and  patiently  wait  for  God  to  do  His 
own  work,  and  in  His  own  way.  Wm.   Law. 


324  November  ig 

If  any  man  among  you  seem  to  he  religiom^  and 
brldleth  not  his  tongue^  but  dece'tveth  his  own  hearty 
this  man^s  religion  is  vain.  —  James  i.  26. 

I  said^  I  will  take  heed  to  my  ways^  that  I  sin 
not  with  my  tongue.  — Ps.  xxxix.  i. 


No  sinful  word,  nor  deed  of  wrong, 

Nor  thoughts  that  idly  rove  ; 
But  simple  truth  be  on  our  tongue, 

And  in  our  hearts  be  love. 

St.  Ambrose. 


LET  us  all  resolve,  —  First,  to  attain  the 
grace  of  silence  ;  Second,  to  deem  all 
FAULT-FINDING  that  does  no  good  a  sin, 
and  to  resolve,  when  we  are  happy  ourselves, 
not  to  poison  the  atmosphere  for  our  neighbors 
by  calling  on  them  to  remark  every  painful  and 
disagreeable  feature  of  their  daily  life  ;  Third,  to 
practise  the  grace  and  virtue  of  praise. 

Harriet  B.   Stowe. 


Surrounded  by  those  who  constantly  exhibit 
defects  of  character  and  conduct,  if  we  yield  to 
a  complaining  and  impatient  spirit,  we  shall 
mar  our  own  peace  without  having  the  satisfac- 
tion of  benefiting  others. 

T.  C.  Upham 


November  20  2'^$ 

Tie  have  need  of  patience^  that,  after  ye  have 
done  the  will  of  God,  ye  might  receive  the  promise. 
•  Heb.  X.  36. 


Sweet  Patience,  come : 
Not  from  a  low  and  earthly  source,  — ■ 
Waiting,  till  things  shall  have  their  course,— 
Not  as  accepting  present  pain 
In  hope  of  some  hereafter  gain,  — 
Not  in  a  dull  and  sullen  calm,  — 
But. as  a  breath  of  heavenly  balm. 
Bidding  my  weary  heart  submit 
To  bear  whatever  God  sees  fit : 

Sweet  Patience,  come  ! 

Hymns  of  the  Church  Militant. 


PATIENCE  endues  her  scholars  with  con- 
tent of  mind,  and  evenness  of  temper, 
preventing  all  repining  grumbling,  and 
impatient  desires,  and  inordinate  affections ; 
disappointments  here  are  no  crosses,  and  all 
anxious  thoughts  are  disarmed  of  their  sting  ; 
in  her  habitations  dwell  quietness,  submission, 
and  long-suffering,  all  fierce  turbulent  inclina- 
tions are  hereby  allayed.  The  eyes  of  the 
patient  fixedly  wait  the  inward  power  of  God's 
providence,  and  they  are  thereby  mightily  enabled 
towards  their  salvation  and  preservation. 

Thomas  Tryow 


226  November  21 

Afan  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone^  but  by  every 
word  that  proceedeth  out  of  the  mouth  of  God.  — 
Matt.  iv.  4. 

J  mans  Ife  consisteth  not  in  the  abundance  of 
the  things  which  he  possesseth.  — Luke  xii.  15. 

Whate'er  God  does  is  well. 

Whether  He  gives  or  takes  ! 

And  what  we  from  His  hand  receive 

Suffices  us  to  live. 
He  takes  and  gives,  while  yet  He  loves  us  still ; 

Then  love  His  will, 

B.    SCHMOLCK. 

IS  that  beast  better,  that  hath  two  or  three 
mountains  to    graze   on,  than   a  little  bee, 
that  feeds  on  dew  or  manna,  and  lives  upon 
what  falls  every  morning  from  the   storehouse 
of  heaven,  clouds,  and  providence  ? 

Jeremy  Taylor. 

For  myself  I  am  certain  that  the  good  of 
human  life  cannot  lie  in  the  possession  of  things 
whii^h  for  one  man  to  possess  is  for  the  rest  to 
lose,  but  rather  in  things  which  all  can  possess 
alike,  and  where  one  man's  wealth  promotes  his 
neighbor's.  B.  Spinoza. 

Every  lot  is  happy  to  a  person  who  bears  it 
with  tranquillity.  Boethius. 


November  22  '327 

}  our  Father  knoweth  what  things  ye  have  need 
of.  —  Matt.  vi.  8. 

Seek  ye  first  the  kingdom  of  God^  and  His  right- 
eousness i  and  all  these  things  shall  be  added  unto 
you.  —  Matt.  vi.  33. 

Thv  kingdom  come,  with  power  and  grace. 

To  every  heart  of  man  ; 
Thy  peace,  and  joy,  and  righteousness 

In  all  our  bosoms  reign. 

C.  Wesley. 

GOD  bids  us,  then,  by  past  mercies,  by 
present  grace,  by  fears  of  coming  ill,  by 
hopes  in  His  goodness,  earnestly,  with 
our  whole  hearts,  seek  Him  and  His  righteous- 
ness, and  all  these  things,  all  ye  need  for  soul 
and  body,  peace,  comfort,  joy,  the  overflowing 
of  His  consolations,  shall  be  added  over  and 
above  to  you.  E.  B.  Pusev. 

Grant  us,  O  Lord,  we  beseech  Thee,  always 
to  seek  Thy  kingdom  and  righteousness,  and  of 
whatsoever  Thou  seest  us  to  stand  in  need,  mer- 
cifully grant  us  an  abundant  portion.     Amen. 

Be  content  to  be  a  child,  and  let  the  Father 
proportion  out  daily  to  thee  what  light,  what 
power,  what  exercises,  what  straits,  what  fears, 
what  troubles  He  sees  tit  for  thee. 

1.    FfiNINGTOM. 


328  November  23 

/  have  taught  thee  in  the   way  of  wisdom  i 
have  led  thee  in  right  paths.  —  Prov.  iv.  1 1. 

We  know  not  what  tlie  path  may  be 

As  yet  by  us  untrod  ; 
But  we  can  trust  our  all  to  Thee, 

Our  Father  and  our  God. 

Wm.  J.  Irons. 

WE  have  very  little  command  over  the  cir- 
cumstances in  which  wc  may  be  called 
by  God  to  bear  our  part  —  unlimited 
command  over  the  temper  of  our  souls,  but 
next  to  no  command  over  the  outward  forms 
of  trial.  The  most  energetic  will  cannot  order 
the  events  by  which  our  spirits  are  to  be  perilled 
and  tested.  Powers  quite  beyond  our  reach  — 
death,  accident,  fortune,  another's  sin  —  may 
change  in  a  moment  all  the  conditions  of  our 
life.  With  to-morrow's  sun  existence  may  have 
new  and  awful  aspects  for  any  of  us. 

J.  H.  Thom. 

Oh,  my  friend,  look  not  out  at  what  stands 
in  the  way ;  what  if  it  look  dreadfully  as  a  lion, 
is  not  the  Lord  stronger  than  the  mountains  of 
prey  ?  but  look  /«,  where  the  law  of  life  is 
written,  and  the  will  of  the  Lord  revealed,  that 
thou  mayest  know  what  is  the  Lord's  will  con- 
cerning thee. 

I.    PfiNlNGTON. 


November  24  329 

Be  of  good  courage^  and  He  shall  strengthen  your 
hearty  all  ye  that  hope  in  the  Lord.  —  Ps.  xxxi.  24. 

Let  not  your  heart  be  troubled^  neither  let  it  be 
afraid. — John  xiv.  27. 

In  heavenly  love  abiding, 

No  change  my  heart  shall  fear  ; 

And  safe  is  such  confiding. 
For  nothing  changes  here. 

A.   L.  Wakino. 

A  TRUE  Christian,  that  hath  power  over 
his  own  will,  may  live  nobly  and  happily, 
and  enjoy  a  clear  heaven  within  the  se- 
enity  of  his  own  mind  perpetually.  When  the 
sea  of  this  world  is  most  rough  and  tempestuous 
about  him,  then  can  he  ride  safely  at  anchor 
within  the  haven,  by  a  sweet  compliance  of  his 
will  with  God's  will.  He  can  look  about  him, 
and  with  an  even  and  indifferent  mind  behold 
the  world  either  to  smile  or  fown  upon  him; 
neither  will  he  abate  of  the  least  of  his  content- 
ment for  all  the  ill  and  unkind  usage  he  meets 
withal  in  this  life.  He  that  hath  got  the  mas- 
tery over  his  own  will  feels  no  violence  from 
without,  finds  no  contests  within ;  and  when 
God  calls  for  him  out  of  this  state  of  mortality, 
he  finds  in  himself  a  power  to  lay  down  his 
own  life ;  neither  is  it  so  much  taken  from  him, 
as  i][uicily  and  freely  surrendered  up  by  him. 

Dr,  John  Smith. 


33©  November  25 

/Ind  the  Lord^  He  it  is  that  doth  go  before  thee , 
He  will  he  with  thee^  He  will  not  fail  thee^  neither 
forsake  thee  :  fear  not^  neither  he  dismayed,  — 
Deut.  xxxi.  8. 


Know  well,  my  soul,  God's  hand  controk 

What  e'er  thou  fearest  ; 
Round  Him  in  calmest  music  rolls 

Whate'er  thou  hearest. 

J.  G.  Whittier. 


THE  lessons  of  the  moral  sentiment  are, 
once  for  all,  an  emancipation  from  that 
anxiety  which  takes  the  joy  out  of  all 
life.  It  teaches  a  great  peace.  It  comes  itself 
from  the  highest  place.  It  is  that,  which  being 
in  all  sound  natures,  and  strongest  in  the  best 
and  most  gifted  men,  we  know  to  be  implanted 
by  the  Creator  of  men.  It  is  a  commandment 
at  every  moment,  and  in  every  condition  of  life, 
to  do  the  duty  of  that  moment,  and  to  abstain 
from  doing  the  wrong. 

R.  W.   Emerson. 


Go  face  the  fire  at  sea,  or  the  cholera  in 
your  friend's  house,  or  the  burglar  in  your  own, 
or  what  danger  lies  in  the  way  of  duty,  know- 
ing you  are  guarded  by  the  cherubim  of  Destiny. 

R.  W.  Emerson. 


November  26  ^j^i 


Behold^  I  am  with  thee^  and  will  keep  thee  in  all 
places  whither  thou  goat.  —  Gen.  xxviii.  15. 


Be  quiet,  soul  : 
Why  shouldst  thou  care  and  sadness  borrow. 
Why  sit  in  nameless  fear  and  sorrow, 

The  livelong  day  ? 
God  will  mark  out  thy  path  to-morrow 

In  His  best  way. 

Anon. 


I  HAD  hoped,  Madame,  to  find  you  here, 
and  was  rejoicing  in  that  hope;  but  God 
has  sent  you  elsewhere.  The  best  place  is 
wherever  He  puts  us,  and  any  other  would  be 
undesirable,  all  the  worse  because  it  would  please 
our  fancy,  and  would  be  of  our  own  choice. 
Do  not  think  about  distant  events.  This  un- 
easiness about  the  future  is  unwholesome  for 
you.  We  must  leave  to  God  all  that  depends 
on  Him,  and  think  only  of  being  faithful  in  all 
that  depends  upon  ourselves.  When  God 
takes  away  that  which  He  has  given  you.  He 
knows  well  how  to  replace  it,  either  through 
other  means  or  by  Himself. 

Francois  de  la  Mothe  FInei^on. 


3,12  November  27 

The  Lord  hath  been  mindful  of  us :      He  will 
bless  us.  —  Ps.  cxv.  12. 


My  Father  !  what  am  I,  that  all 
Thy  mercies  sweet  like  sunlight  fall 

So  constant  o'er  my  way  ? 
That  Thy  great  love  should  shelter  mc, 
And  guide  my  steps  si  tenderly 

Through  every  changing  day  ?  Anon. 

WHAT  a  strength  and  spring  of  life,  what 
hope  and  trust,  what  glad,  unresting 
energy,  is  in  this  one  thought,  —  to 
serve  Him  who  is  "my  Lord,"  ever  near  me, 
ever  looking  on  j  seeing  my  intentions  before 
He  beholds  my  failures ;  knowing  my  desires 
before  He  sees  my  faults ;  cheering  me  to  en- 
deavor greater  things,  and  yet  accepting  the 
least;  inviting  my  poor  service,  and  yet,  above 
all,  content  with  my  poorer  love.  Let  us  try 
to  realize  this,  whatsoever,  wheresoever  we  be. 
The  humblest  and  the  simplest,  the  weakest 
and  the  most  encumbered,  may  love  Him  not 
less  than  the  busiest  and  strongest,  the  most 
gifted  and  laborious.  If  our  heart  be  clear 
before  Him;  if  He  be  to  us  our  chief  and 
sovereign  choice,  dear  above  all,  and  beyond  all 
desired  ;  then  all  else  matters  little.  That  which 
concerneth  us  He  will  perfect  in  stillness  and  in 
powcff 

Ji.  E.  Manning, 


November  28  2^3 

Tea^  I  have  loved  thee  with  an  everlasting  love : 
therefore  with  loving  kindness  have  I  drawn  thee. 
—  Jer.  xxxi.  3. 


On  the  great  love  of  God  I  lean, 

Love  of  the  Infinite,  Unseen, 

With  nought  of  heaven  or  earth  between 

This  God  is  mine,  and  I  am  His  ; 

His  love  is  all  I  need  of  bliss. 

H.   60NAR.. 


IF  ever  human  love  vi^as  tender,  and  self- 
sacrificing,  and  devoted ;  if  ever  it  could 
bear  and  forbear ;  if  ever  it  could  suffer 
gladly  for  its  loved  ones  ;  if  ever  it  was  willing 
to  pour  itself  out  in  a  lavish  abandonment  for 
the  comfort  or  pleasure  of  its  objects ;  then  in- 
finitely more  is  Divine  love  tender,  and  self- 
sacrificing,  and  devoted,  and  glad  to  bear  and 
forbear,  and  to  suffer,  and  tO  lavish  its  best  of 
gifts  and  blessings  upon  the  objects  of  its  love. 
Put  together  all  the  tenderest  love  you  know  of, 
the  deepest  you  have  ever  felt,  and  the  strongest 
that  has  ever  been  poured  out  upon  you,  and 
heap  upon  it  all  the  love  of  all  the  loving  human 
hearts  in  the  world,  and  then  multiply  it  by 
infinity,  and  you  will  begin,  perhaps,  to  have 
some  faint  glimpse  of  what  the  love  of  God  is. 

H.  W.  Smith. 


334  November  29 

My  sons^  be  not  now  negligent :  for  the  Lord 
hath  chosen  you  to  stand  before  Him^  to  serve  Him. 
—  2  Chron.  xxix.  II. 


Bright  be  my  prospect  as  I  pass  along  ;  — 
An  ardent  service  at  the  cost  of  all, — 

Love  by  untiring  ministry  made  strong, 
And  ready  for  the  first,  the  softest  call. 

A.  L.  Waring. 


THERE  are  many  things  that  appear  trifles, 
which  greatly  tend  to  enervate  the  soul, 
and  hinder  its  progress  in  the  path  to 
virtue  and  glory.  The  habit  of  indulging  in 
things  which  our  judgment  cannot  thoroughly 
approve,  grows  stronger  and  stronger  by  every 
act  of  self-gratification,  and  we  are  led  on  b) 
degrees  to  an  excess  of  luxury  which  musi 
greatly  weaken  our  hands  in  the  spiritual  war- 
fare. If  we  do  not  endeavor  to  do  that  which 
is  right  in  every  particular  circumstance,  though 
trifling,  we  shall  be  in  great  danger  of  letting 
the  same  negligence  take  place  in  matters  mort; 
essential.  Margaret  Woods. 

The  will  can  only  be  made  submissive  by 
frequent  self-denials,  which  must  keep  in  sub- 
jection its  sallies  and  inclinations.  Great  weak- 
ness is  often  produced  by  indulgences  which 
seem  of  no  importance.  M.  de  Mounos. 


November  30  335 

H^hy  art  thou  cast  down^  O  my  soul  F  and  why 
art  thou  disquieted  in  me  F  hope  thou  in  God ;  for 
I  shall  yet  praise  Him  for  the  help  of  His  coun- 
tenance. —  Ps.  xlii.   5. 

If^e  are  troubled  on  every  side^  yet  not  distressed. 

—  2  Cor.  iv.  8. 

Oh,  my  soul,  why  art  thou  vexed  ? 

Let  things  go  e'en  as  they  will  ; 
Though  to  thee  they  seem  perplexed, 

Yet  His  order  they  fulfil. 

A.   H.   Francke. 

THE  vexation,  restlessness,  and  impatience 
which  small  trials  cause,  arise  wholly  from 
our  ignorance  and  want  of  self-control. 
We  may  be  thwarted  and  troubled,  it  is  true, 
but  these  things  put  us  into  a  condition  for  exer- 
cising patience  and  meek  submission,  and  the 
self-abnegation  wherein  alone  the  fulness  of 
God   is  to  be  found.  De  Renty. 

Every  day  deny  yourself  some  satisfaction  ; 

—  bearing  all  the  inconveniences  of  life  (for  the 
love  of  God),  cold,  hunger,  restless  nights,  ill 
health,  unwelcome  news,  the  faults  of  servants, 
contempt,  ingratitude  of  friends,  malice  of  ene- 
mies, calumnies,  our  own  failings,  lowness  of 
spirits,  the  struggle  in  overcoming  our  corrup- 
tions ; —  bearing  all  these  with  patience  and 
resignation  to  the  will  of  God.  Do  all  this  as 
unto  God,  with  the  greatest  privacy. 

Thomas  Wilson 


S3^  December  i 

f     Charity  envieth  not^  .  .   .  thinketh  no  evil.  — 
y  Cor.  xiii.  4,  5. 

JVhy  dost  thou  judge  thy  brother  ?  or  why  dost 
thou  set  at  nought  thy  brother?  —  RoM.  xiv.  10. 

He  that  despiseth  his  neighbor  sinneth.  —  Prov. 
xiv.  21. 

fLooK  thou  with  pity  on  a  brother's  fall, 
But  dwell  not  with  stern  anger  on  his  fault  ; 
.The  grace  of  God  alone  holds  thee,  holds  all  ; 
(Were  that  withdrawn,  thou  too  wouidst  swerve  and  halt. 

J.    Edmeston. 

IF,  on  hearing  of  the  fall  of  a  brother,  however 
differing  or  severed  from  us,  we  feel  the 
least  inclination  to  linger  over  it,  instead  of 
hiding  it  in  grief  and  shame,  or  veiling  it  in  the 
love  which  covereth  a  multitude  of  sins  ;  if,  in 
seeing  a  joy  or  a  grace  or  an  effective  service 
given  to  others,  we  do  not  rejoice,  but  feel  de- 
pressed, let  us  be  very  watchful ;  the  most  dia- 
bolical of  passions  may  mask  itself  as  humility, 
or  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God. 

Elizabeth  Charles. 

Love  taketh  up  no  malign  elements  ;  its  spirit 
prompteth  it  to  cover  in  mercy  all  things  that 
ought  not  to  be  exposed,  to  believe  all  of  good 
that  can  be  believed,  to  hope  all  things  that  a 
good  God  makes  possible,  and  to  endure  all 
things  that  the  hope  may  be  made  good. 

J.  H.  Thom. 


December  2  337 

Therefore  thou  art  inexcusable^  O  man^  whoso- 
ever thou  art  that  judgest :  for  wherein  thou  judg- 
est  another^  thou  condemnest  thyself  i  for  thou  that 
'judgest  doest  the  same  things.  —  Rom.  ii.  I. 


Search  thine  own  heart.     What  paineth  thee 

In  others,  in  thyself  may  be  ; 
All  dust  is  frail,'  all  flesh  is  weak  ; 

Be  thou  the  true  man  thou  dost  seek. 

J.   G.    Whittier. 


yl  SAINT'S  life  in  one  man  may  be  less 
/"\  than  common  honesty  in  another.  From 
us^  whose  consciences  He  has  reached 
and  enlightened,  God  may  look  for  a  martyr's 
truth,  a  Christian's  unworldly  simplicity,  before 
He  will  place  us  on  a  level  even  with  the  aver- 
age of  the  exposed  classes.  We  perhaps  think 
our  lives  at  least  harmless.  We  do  not  con- 
sider what  He  may  think  of  them,  when  com- 
pared with  the  invitations  of  His  that  we  have 
slighted,  with  the  aims  of  His  Providence  we 
are  leaving  without  our  help,  with  the  glory  for 
ourselves  we  are  refusing  and  casting  away, 
with  the  vast  sum  of  blessed  work  that  daily 
faithfulness  in  time  can  rear  without  overwork 
on  any  single  day. 

J.  H.  Thom. 


338  December  3 

Now  the  God  of  hope  Jill  you  with  all  joy  and 
peace  in  believing^  that  ye  may  abound  in  hope^ 
through  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost. —  Rom. 
XV.    13. 

To  heaven  I  lift  my  waiting  eyes  ; 

There  all  my  hopes  are  laid  ; 
The  Lord  that  built  the  earth  and  skies 

Is  my  perpetual  aid. 

I.   Watts. 

GROVEL  not  in  things  below,  among 
earthly  cares,  pleasures,  anxieties,  toils, 
if  thou  wouldst  have  a  good  strong  hope 
on  high.  Lift  up  thy  cares  with  thy  heart  to 
God,  if  thou  wouldst  hope  in  Him.  Then  see 
what  in  thee  is  most  displeasing  to  God.  This 
it  is  which  holdeth  thy  hope  down.  Strike 
firmly,  repeatedly,  in  the  might  of  God,  until 
it  give  way.  Thy  hope  will  soar  at  once  with 
thy  thanks  to  God  who  delivereth  thee. 

E.    B.    PUSEY. 

The  snares  of  the  enemy  will  be  so  known 
to  thee  and  discerned,  the  way  of  help  so  mani- 
fest and  easy,  that  their  strength  will  be  broken, 
and  the  poor  entangled  bird  will  fly  away  sing- 
ing, from  the  nets  and  entanglements  of  the 
fowler;  and  praises  will  spring  up,  and  great 
love  in  thy  heart  to  the  Forgiver  and  Redeemer. 

l.  Penington. 


December  4  339 


Fight  the  good  fight  of  faith  ^  lay  hold  on  eternal 
life^whereunto  thou  art  also  called. —  I  Tim.  vi.  12. 


Oh,  dream  no  more  of  quiet  life  ; 
Care  finds  the  careless  out  ;  more  wise  to  vow 

Thy  heart  entire  to  faith's  pure  strife  } 
So  peace  will  come,  thou  knowest  not  when  or  how. 

Lyra  Apostolica. 


WHO  art  thou  that  complalnest  of  thy 
life  of  toil  ?  Complain  not.  Look 
up,  my  wearied  brother;  see  thy  fel- 
low-workmen there,  in  God's  Eternity  \  surviv- 
ing there,  they  alone  surviving;  sacred  band  of 
the  Immortals,  celestial  body-guard  of  the  em- 
pire of  mankind.  To  thee  Heaven,  though 
severe,  is  not  unkind;  Heaven  is  kind, —  as  a 
noble  mother ;  as  that  Spartan  mother,  saying 
while  she  gave  her  son  his  shield,  "With  it,  my 
son,  or  upon  it."  Thou  too  shalt  return  home  in 
honor;  to  thy  far-distant  Home,  in  honor; 
doubt  it  not,  —  if  in  the  battle  thou  keep  thy 
shield !  Thou,  in  the  Eternities  and  deepest 
death-kingdoms  art  not  an  alien  ;  thou  every- 
where art  a  denizen.     Complain  not. 

T.  Carlyle. 


340  December  5 

The  God  of  all  grace^  who  hath  called  us  unto 
His  eternal  glory  by  Christ  Jesus^  after  that  ye 
have  suffered  a  while,  make  you  perfect^  stablishy 
strengthen^  settle  you, —  I   Pet.  v.  I0» 

Take  heed^  and  be  quiet ;  fear  not.^  neither  bi 
faint-hearted.  —  IsA.  vii.  4. 

How  slialt  thou  bear  the  cross  that  now 

So  dread  a  weight  appears  ? 
Keep  quietly  to  God,  and  think 

Upon  the  Eternal  Years.  F.  W.  Faber 

GOD  forgive  them  that  raise  an  ill  report 
upon  the  sweet  cross  of  Christ ;  it  is  but 
our  weak  and  dim  eyes,  that  look  but  tc 
the  black  side,  that  makes  us  mistake ;  those 
that  can  take  that  crabbed  tree  handsomely  upon 
their  backs,  and  fasten  it  on  cannily,  shall  find 
it  such  a  burden  as  wings  unto  a  bird,  or  sails 
to  a  ship.  S.  Rutherford. 

Blessed  is  any  weight,  however  overwhelm- 
ing, which  God  has  been  so  good  as  to  fasten 
with  His  own  hand  upon  our  shoulders. 

F.   W.   Faber. 

We  cannot  say  this  or  that  trouble  shall  not 
befall,  yet  we  may,  by  help  of  the  Spirit,  say, 
nothing  that  doth  befall  shall  make  me  do  that 
which  is  unworthy  of  a  Christian.  K.  SiButs. 


December  6  341 

This  God  is  our  God  for  ever  and  ever :   He  wili 
be  our  guide  even  unto  death.  —  Ps.  xlviii.  14. 

For  the  Lord  shall  be  thy  confidence.  —  Pro  v. 
iii.  26. 

Be  still,  my  soul  !     Thy  God  doth  undertake 
To  guide  the  future,  as  He  has  the  past  : 

Thy  hope,  thy  confidence,  let  nothing  shake, 
AH  now  mysterious  shall  be  bright  at  last. 

J.    BORTHWICK. 

HE  has  kept  and  folded  us  from  ten  thous- 
and ills  when  we  did  not  know  it :  in 
the  midst  of  our  security  we  should  have 
perished  every  hour,  but  that  He  sheltered  us 
"  from  the  terror  by  night  and  from  the  arrow 
that  flieth  by  day  "  —  from  the  powers  of  evil 
that  walk  in  darkness,  from  snares  of  our  own 
evil  will.  He  has  kept  us  even  against  ourselves, 
and  saved  us  even  from  our  own  undoing.  Let 
us  read  the  traces  of  His  hand  in  all  our  ways, 
in  all  the  events,  the  chances,  the  changes  of 
this  troubled  state.  It  is  He  that  folds  and 
feeds  us,  that  makes  us  to  go  in  and  out, —  to 
be  faint,  or  to  find  pasture,  —  to  lie  down  by 
the  still  waters,  or  to  walk  by  the  way  that  is 
parched  and  desert.  H.  E.   Manning. 

We  are  never  without  help.  We  have  no 
right  to  say  of  any  good  work,  it  is  too  hard  for 
me  to  do,  or  of  any  sorrow,  it  is  too  hard  for 
me  to  bear ;  or  of  any  sinful  habit,  it  is  too  hard 
for  rne  to  overcome.  ELiZAatrH  Charles. 


34^  December  7 

j^cqua'int  now  thyself  with  Him,  and  he  at  peace. 
—  Job  xxii.  21. 

All  thy  children  shall  he  taught  of  the  Lord;  and 
great  shall  be  the  peace  of  thy  children.  —  Is  A. 
liv.  13. 

Unite,  my  roving  thoughts,  unite 

In  silence  soft  and  sweet ; 
And  thou,  my  soul,  sit  gently  down 

At  thy  great  Sovereign's  feet. 

P.  Doddridge. 

YES  !  blessed  are  those  holy  hours  in  which 
the  soul  retires  from  the  world  to  be  alone 
with  God.  God's  voice,  as  Himself,  is 
everywhere.  Within  and  without,  He  speak? 
to  our  souls,  if  we  would  hear.  Only  the  dir 
of  the  world,  or  the  tumult  of  our  own  hearts 
deafens  our  inward  ear  to  it.  Learn  to  com- 
mune with  Him  in  stillness,  and  He,  whom 
thou  hast  sought  in  stillness,  will  be  with  thee 
when  thou  goest  abroad.  E.   B.  Pusey. 

The  great  step  and  direct  path  to  the  fear 
and  awful  reverence  of  God,  is  to  meditate,  and 
with  a  sedate  and  silent  hush  to  turn  the  eyes  of 
the  mind  inwards ;  there  to  seek,  and  with  a 
submissive  spirit  wait  at  the  gates  of  Wisdom's 
temple;  and  then  the  Divine  Voice  and  Distin- 
guishing Power  will  arise  in  the  light  and  centre 
of  a  man's  self.  Thomas  Tuvon. 


December  8  343 

Blessed  be  the    God  and  Father  of  our  Lord 

yesus  Christy  who  hath  blessed  us  with  all  spiritual 
blessings,  —  Eph.   i.   3. 

As  sorrowful^  yet  alway  rejoicing.  —  2  Cor. 
vi.   10. 

It  is  not  happiness  I  seek, 
Its  name  I  hardly  dare  to  speak  5 
It  is  not  made  for  man  or  earth, 
And  Heaven  alone  can  give  it  birth. 

There  is  a  something  sweet  and  pure. 
Through  life,  through  death  it  may  endure  j 
With  steady  foot  I  onward  press. 
And  long  to  win  that  Blessedness. 

Louisa  J.   Halu 

THE  elements  of  happiness  in  this  present 
life  no  man  can  command,  even  if  he 
could  command  himself,  for  they  depend 
on  the  action  of  many  wills,  on  the  purity  of 
many  hearts,  and  by  the  highest  law  of  God  the 
holiest  must  ever  bear  the  sins  and  sorrows  of 
the  rest ;  but  over  the  blessedness  of  his  own  spirit 
circumstance  need  have  no  control ;  God  has 
therein  given  an  unlimited  power  to  the  means 
of  preservation,  of  grace  and  growth,  at  every 
man's  command.  J.  H.  Thom. 

There  is  in  man  a  higher  than  love  of  hap- 
piness :  he  can  do  without  happiness,  and  instead 
thereof  find  blessedness  !  T.  Carlyle. 


344  December  9 

For  this  shall  every  one  that  is  godly  pray  unto 
Thee  in  a  time  when  Thou  may  est  be  found :  surely 
in  the  Jloods  of  great  waters  they  shall  not  come 
nigh  unto  him.  —  Ps.  xxxii.  6. 


Be  not  o'ermastered  by  thy  pain, 

But  cling  to  God,  thou  shalt  not  fall  ; 
The  floods  sweep  over  thee  in  vain. 

Thou  yet  shalt  rise  above  them  all  ; 
For  when  thy  trial  seems  too  hard  to  bear, 
Lo  !  God,  thy  King,  hath  granted  all  thy  prayer  : 
Be  thou  content. 

P.   Gerhardt. 


IT  is  the  Lord's  mercy,  to  give  thee  breath- 
ings after  life,  and  cries  unto  Him  against 
that  which  oppresseth  thee ;  and  happy  wilt 
thou  be,  when  He  shall  fill  thy  soul  with  that 
which  He  hath  given  thee  to  breathe  after.  Be 
not  troubled ;  for  if  troubles  abound,  and  there 
be  tossing,  and  storms,  and  tempests,  and  no 
peace,  nor  anything  visible  left  to  support ;  yet, 
lie  still,  and  sink  beneath,  till  a  secret  hope  stir, 
which  will  stay  the  heart  in  the  midst  of  all 
these ;  until  the  Lord  administer  comfort,  who 
knows  how  and  what  relief  to  give  to  the 
weary  traveller,  that  knows  not  where  it  is,  nor 
which  way  to  look,  nor  Where  to  expect  a  path. 

I.  Penington. 


December  lo  345 

Behold^  we  count  them  happy  which  endure.  — < 
James  v.  ii. 

If  ye  endure  chastening^  God  dealeth  with  you  M 
with  ions.  —  Heb.  xii.  7. 


Trials  must  and  will  befall ; 

But  with  humble  faith  to  see 
Love  inscribed  upon  them  all, 

This  is  happiness  to  me. 

W.    COWPER. 


BE  not  afraid  of  those  trials  which  God  may 
see  fit  to  send  upon  thee.  It  is  with  the. 
wind  and  storm  of  tribulation  that  God 
separates  the  true  wheat  from  the  chafF.  Always 
remember,  therefore,  that  God  comes  to  thee  in 
thy  sorrows,  as  really  as  in  thy  joys.  He  lays 
low,  and  He  builds  up.  Thou  wilt  find  thyself 
far  from  perfection,  if  thou  dost  not  find  God  in 
everything. 

M.    DE    MOLINOS. 


God  hath  provided  a  sweet  and  quiet  life  for 
His  children,  could  they  improve  and  use  it ; 
a  calm  and  firm  conviction  in  all  the  storms  and 
troubles  that  are  about  them,  however  things  go, 
to  find  content,  and  be  careful  for  nothing. 

R.  Leighton- 


346  December  11 

Oh^  that  Thou  wouldest  bless  me  indeed^  and 
that  Thine  hand  might  be  with  me^  and  that  Thou 
ivouldest  keep  me  from  evil^  that  it  may  not  grieve 
me!  —  I  Chron.  iv.  lo. 

Te  shall  serve  the  Lord  your  God^  and  He  shall 
bless  thy  bread  and  thy  water.  —  Ex.  xxiii.  25. 

What  I  possess,  or  what  I  crave, 

Brings  no  content,  great  God,  to  me. 

If  what  I  would,  or  what  I  have. 
Be  not  possest,  and  blest,  in  Thee  5 
What  I  enjoy,  O  make  it  mine. 
In  making  me  that  have  it.  Thine. 

J.     QUARLES. 

OFFER  up  to  God  all  pure  affections,  de. 
sires,  regrets,  and  all  the  bonds  whicK 
link  us  to  home,  kindred,  and  friends, 
together  with  all  our  works,  purposes,  and  labors. 
These  things,  which  are  not  only  lawful,  but 
sacred,  become  then  the  matter  of  thanksgiving 
and  oblation.  Memories,  plans  for  the  future, 
wishes,  intentions  ;  works  just  begun,  half  done, 
all  but  completed  ;  emotions,  sympathies,  affec- 
tions, —  all  these  things  throng  tumultuously 
and  dangerously  in  the  heart  and  will.  The 
only  way  to  master  them  is  to  offer  them  up  to 
Him,  as  once  ours,  under  Him,  always  His  by 
right. 

H.  E.  Manning. 


December  12  347 

/  delight  to  do  Thy  will^  O  my  God :  yea^  Thy 
law  is  within  my  heart.  —  Ps.  xl.  8. 

A  PATIENT,  a  victorious  mind, 
Tliat  life  and  all  things  casts  behind. 
Springs  forth  obedient  to  Thy  call  j 
A  heart  that  no  desire  can  move, 
But  still  to  adore,  believe,  and  love, 
\  Give  me,  my  Lord,  my  Life,  my  All. 

P,   Gerhardt. 

THAT  piety  which  sanctifies  us,  and  which 
is  a  true  devotion  to  God,  consists  in  do- 
ing all  His  will  precisely  at  the  time,  in 
the  situation,  and  under  the  circumstances,  in 
which  He  has  placed  us.  Perfect  devotedness 
requires,  not  only  that  we  do  the  will  of  God, 
but  that  we  do  it  with  love.  God  would  have 
us  serve  Him  with  delight ;  it  is  our  hearts  that 
He  asks  of  us.     FRAN901S  de  la  Mothe  F^nelon. 

Devotion  is  really  neither  more  nor  less  than 
a  general  inclination  and  readiness  to  do  that 
which  we  know  to  be  acceptable  to  God.  It 
is  that  "  free  spirit,"  of  which  David  spoke  when 
he  said,  "  I  will  run  the  way  of  Thy  command- 
ments, when  Thou  hast  set  my  heart  at  liberty." 
People  of  ordinary  goodness  walk  in  God's  way, 
but  the  devout  run  in  it,  and  at  length  they 
almost  fly  therein.  To  be  truly  devout,  we 
must  not  only  do  God's  will,  but  we  must  do 
it  cheerfully.  St.  FRAwas  de  Sales. 


348  December  13 

So  teach  us  to  number  our  days^  that  we  may 
apply  our  hearts  unto  wisdom.  —  Ps.  xc.  12. 

Seek  not  ye  what  ye  shall  eat^  or  what  ye  shah 
drink^  neither  he  ye  of  doubtful  mind.  —  Luke 
xii.  29. 

Our  days  are  numbered  :  let  us  spare 
Our  anxious  hearts  a  needless  care  : 
'T  is  Thine  to  number  out  our  days  ; 
'T  is  ours  to  give  them  to  Thy  praise. 

Madame  Guyon. 

EVERY  day  let  us  renew  the  consecration 
to  God's  service;  every  day  let  us,  in  His 
strength,  pledge  ourselves  afresh  to  do 
His  will,  even  in  the  veriest  trifle,  and  to  turn 
aside  from  anything  that  may  displease  Him. 
He  does  not  bid  us  bear  the  burdens  of  to- 
morrow, next  week,  or  next  year.  Every  day 
we  are  to  come  to  Him  in  simple  obedience 
and  faith,  asking  help  to  keep  us,  and  aid  us 
through  that  day's  work  ;  and  to-morrow,  and  to- 
morrow, and  to-morrow,  through  years  of  long 
to-morrows,  it  will  be  but  the  same  thing  to 
do ;  leaving  the  future  always  in  God's  hands, 
sure  that  He  can  care  for  it  better  than  we. 
Blessed  trust !  that  can  thus  confidingly  say, 
"  This  hour  is  mine  with  its  present  duty ;  the 
next  is  God's,  and  when  it  comes.  His  presence 
will  come  with  it." 

W.  R.  Huntington. 


December  14  349 

jind  as  many  as  walk  according  to  this  rule^ 
peace  be  on  them^  and  mercy ^  and  upon  the  Israel 
of  God.  —  Gal.  vi.  i6. 

Lord,  I  have  given  my  life  to  Thee, 
And  every  day  and  hour  is  Thine,  — 

What  Thou  appointest  let  them  be  } 
Thy  will  is  better.  Lord,  than  mine. 

A.  Warner. 

BEGIN  at  once ;  before  you  venture  away 
from  this  quiet  moment,  ask  your  King  to 
take  you  wholly  into  His  service,  and 
place  all  the  hours  of  this  day  quite  simply  at 
His  disposal,  and  ask  Him  to  make  and  keep 
you  ready  to  do  just  exactly  what  He  appoints. 
Never  mind  about  to-morrow ;  one  day  at  a 
time  is  enough.  Try  it  to-day,  and  see  if  it  is 
not  a  day  of  strange,  almost  curious  peace,  so 
sweet  that  you  will  be  only  too  thankful,  when 
to-morrow  comes,  to  ask  Him  to  take  it  also, 
—  till  it  will  become  a  blessed  habit  to  hold 
yourself  simply  and  "wholly  at  Thy  command- 
ment for  any  manner  of  service."  The  "  what- 
soever" is  not  necessarily  active  work.  It  may 
be  waiting  (whether  half  an  hour  or  half  a  life- 
time), learning,  suffering,  sitting  still.  But  shall 
we  be  less  ready  for  these,  if  any  of  them  are 
His  appointments  for  to-'^ay  ?  Let  us  ask  Him 
to  prepare  us  for  all  that  He  is  preparing  for  us. 

F.  R.  Havergal. 


350  December  ij. 

Return  unto  thy  rest^  O  my  soul ;  for  thi  hard 
hath  dealt  bountifully  with  thee,  —  Ps.  cxvi.  7. 

We  which  have  believed  do  enter  into  rest.  — 
Heb.  iv.  3. 

Rest  is  not  quitting 
The  busy  career  ; 
\Rest  is  the  fitting 
2_^  Of  self  to  its  sphere. 

*T  is  loving  and  serving 

The  highest  and  best  ! 
'Tis  onwards,  unswerving, — 

And  that  is  true  rest. 

J.    S.    DWIGHT. 

AS  a  result  of  this  strong  faith,  the  inner 
life  of  Catherine  of  Genoa  was  character- 
ized, in  a  remarkable  degree,  by  what 
may  be  termed  rest,  or  quietude  j  which  is  only 
another  form  of  expression  for  true  interior 
peace.  It  was  not,  however,  the  quietude  of  a 
lazy  inaction,  but  the  quietude  of  an  inward 
acquiescence ;  not  a  quietude  which  feels  noth- 
ing and  does  nothing,  but  that  higher  and  divine 
quietude  which  exists  by  feeling  and  acting  in 
the  time  and  degree  of  God's  appointment  and 
God's  will.  It  was  a  principle  in  her  conduct, 
to  give  herself  to  God  in  the  discharge  of  duty ; 
and  to  leave  all  results  without  solicitude  in  His 
hands. 

T.   C.  Upham. 


December  i6  351 

Thou  understandest  my  thought  afar  off.  —  Ps, 
cxxxix.  2. 

IVho  can  understand  his  errors  ?  cleanse  Thou 
uie  from  secret  faults.  —  Ps.  xix.  1 2. 

My  newest  griefs  to  Thee  are  old  ; 

My  last  transgression  of  Thy  law, 
Though  wrapped  in  thought's  most  secret  fold. 

Thine  eyes  with  pitying  sadness  saw. 

H.   M.   Kimball. 

LORD  our  God,  great,  eternal,  wonderful 
in  •  glory,  who  keepest  covenant  and 
promises  for  those  that  love  Thee  with 
their  whole  heart,  who  art  the  Life  of  all,  the 
Help  of  those  that  flee  unto  Thee,  the  Hope  of 
those  who  cry  unto  Thee,  cleanse  us  from  our 
sins,  secret  and  open,  and  from  every  thought 
displeasing  to  Thy  goodness, — cleanse  our 
bodies  and  souls,  our  hearts  and  consciences, 
that  with  a  pure  heart,  and  a  clear  soul,  with 
perfect  love  and  calm  hope,  we  may  venture 
confidently  and  fearlessly  to  pray  unto  Thee. 
Amen.  Coptic  Liturgy  of  St.  Basil. 

The  dominion  of  any  sinful  habit  will  fear- 
fully estrange  us  from  His  presence.  A  single 
consenting  act  of  inward  disobedience  in  thought 
or  will  is  enough  to  let  fall  a  cloud  between 
Him  and  us,  and  to  leave  our  hearts  cheerless 
and  dark.  H.  E.  Manmnu. 


35*  December  17 

*  7  he  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love^  joy^  peace^  long' 
sufferings  gentleness^  goodness^  faith^  meekness^  tem- 
perance.—  Gal.  v.   22,  23. 


Herein  is  my  Father  glorified^  that  ye  hear  much 
fruit  i  so  shall  ye  he  my  disciples. — John  xv.  8. 


O  Breath  from  out  the  Eternal  Silence  !  blow 

Softly  upon  our  spirits'  barren  ground  ; 
The  precious  fulness  of  our  God  bestow, 

That  fruits  of  faith,  love,  reverence  may  abound. 

G.   Tersteegen. 


IS  it  possible  we  should  be  ignorant  whether 
we  feel  tempers  contrary  to  love  or  no  ?  — 
whether  we  rejoice  always,  or  are  burdened 
and  bowed  down  with  sorrow?  —  whether  we 
have  a  praying,  or  a  dead,  lifeless  spirit  ?  — 
whether  we  can  praise  God,  and  be  resigned  in 
all  trials,  or  feel  murmurings,  fretfulness,  and 
impatience,  under  them  ?  —  is  it  not  easy  to 
know  if  we  feel  anger  at  provocations,  or 
whether  we  feel  our  tempers  mild,  gentle, 
peaceable,  and  easy  to  be  entreated,  or  feel 
stubbornness,  self-will,  and  pride  ?  whether  we 
have  slavish  fears,  or  are  possessed  of  that  per- 
fect love  which-  casteth  out  all  fear  that  hath 
torment  \ 

HfsTtR  Ann  Rogers. 


December  i8  353 

We  trust  in  the  living  God.  —  i  Tim.  iv.  i  o. 

Thy  secret  judgment's  depths  profound 

Still  sings  the  silent  night  ; 
The  day,  upon  his  golden  round, 

Thy  pity  infinite. 

I.   Williams.      Tr.  from  Latin. 

NOW  that  I  have  no  longer  any  sense  for 
the  transitory  and  perishable,  the  uni- 
verse appears  before  my  eyes  under  a 
transformed  aspect.  The  dead,  heavy  mass 
which  did  but  stop  up  space  has  vanished,  and 
in  its  place  there  flows  onward,  with  the  rush- 
ing music  of  mighty  waves,  an  eternal  stream 
of  life,  and  power,  and  action,  which  issues 
from  the  original  source  of  all  life,  —  from  Thy 
life,  O  Infinite  One  !  for  all  life  is  Thy  life, 
and  only  the  religious  eye  penetrates  to  the 
realm  of  true  Beauty.  J.  G.  Fichte. 

What  is  Nature  .?  Art  thou  not  the  "  Liv- 
ing Garment "  of  God  .?  O  Heavens,  is  it,  in 
very  deed,  He  then  that  ever  speaks  through 
thee;  that  lives  and  loves  in  thee,  that  lives  and 
loves  in  me }  Sweeter  than  dayspring  to  the 
shipwrecked  in  Nova  Zembla ;  ah!  like  the 
mother's  voice  to  her  little  child  that  strays 
bewildered,  weeping,  in  unknown  tumults ;  like 
soft  streamings  of  celestial  music  to  my  too  ex- 
asperated heart,  came  that  Evangel.  The  Uni- 
verse is  not  dead  and  demoniacal,  a  charnel-house 
with  spectres ;  but  godlike,  and  my  Father's. 

23  T.  Carlvle. 


354  December  19 

And  now.  Lord,  what  wait  I  for  ?  my  hope  h 
in  Thee.  —  Ps.  xxxix.  7. 

O  Lord,  be  gracious  unto  us ;  we  have  waited 
for  Thee.  —  IsA.  xxxiii.  2. 

He  never  comes  too  late  ; 

He  knoweth  what  is  best  j 
Vex  not  thyself  in  vain  ; 

Until  He  cometh,  rest.  B.  T. 

WE  make  mistakes,  or  what  we  call  such. 
The  nature  that  could  fall  into  such 
mistake  exactly  needs,  and  in  the  good- 
ness of  the  dear  God  is  given,  the  living  of  it 
out.  And  beyond  this,  I  believe  moie.  Thai 
in  the  pure  and  patient  living  of  it  out  we  come 
to  find  that  we  have  fallen,  not  into  hopeless 
confusion  of  our  own  wild,  ignorant  making  ; 
but  that  the  finger  of  God  has  been  at  work 
among  our  lines,  and  that  the  emerging  is  into 
His  blessed  order;  that  He  is  forever  making  up 
for  us  our  own  undoings ;  that  He  makes  them 
up  beforehand;  that  He  evermore  restoreth  our 
souls.  A.  D.  T.  Whitney. 

The  Lord  knows  how  to  make  stepping- 
stones  for  us  of  our  defects,  even  ;  it  is  what 
He  lets  them  be  for.  He  remembereth  —  He 
remembered  in  the  making  —  that  we  are  but 
dust ;  the  dust  of  earth,  that  He  chose  to  make 
something  little  lower  than  the  angels  out  of. 

A.  D.  T.  Whitney. 


December  20  ^SS 

Take  no  thought  how  or  what  ye  shall  speak  ; 
/or  it  shall  be  given  you  in  that  same  hour  what 
ye  shall  speak,  — Matt.  x.  19. 


Just  t  o  follow  hour  by  hour 

As  He  leadeth  ; 
Just  to  draw  the  moment's  power 

As  it  needeth. 

F.  R.  Havergau 


YOU  have  a  disagreeable  duty  to  do  at 
twelve  o'clock.  Do  not  blacken  nine, 
and  ten,  and  eleven,  and  all  between,  with 
the  color  of  twelve.  Do  the  work  of  each,  and 
reap  your  reward  in  peace.  So  when  the  dreaded 
moment  in  the  future  becomes  the  present,  you 
shall  meet  it  walking  in  the  light,  and  that  light 
will  overcome  its  darkness.  The  best  prepara- 
tion is  the  present  well  seen  to,  the  last  duty 
done.  For  this  will  keep  the  eye  so  clear  and 
the  body  so  full  of  light  that  the  right  action 
will  be  perceived  at  once,  the  right  words  will 
nish  from  the  heart  to  the  lips,  and  the  man, 
full  of  the  Spirit  of  God  because  he  cares  for 
nothing  but  the  will  of  God,  will  trample  on 
the  evil  thing  in  love,  and  be  sent,  it  may  be, 
in  a  chariot  of  fire  to  the  presence  of  his  Fathe.-, 
or  stand  unmoved  amid  the  cruel  mockings  of 
t*ie  men  he  loves. 

G.  Macdonald. 


356  December  21 

Hast  thou  not  known  F  hast  thou  not  heard^ 
that  the  everlasting  God^  the  Lord^  the  Creator 
of  the  ends  of  the  earthy  fa'inteth  not^  neither  is 
weary  ?  He  giveth  power  to  the  faint ;  and  to 
them  that  have  no  might  he  increaseth  strength.  — 
IsA.  xl.  28,  29. 

Workman  of  God  \  dh,  lose  not  heart. 

But  learn  what  God  is  like  ; 
And  in  the  darkest  battle-field 

Thou  shalt  know  where  to  strike. 

F.   W.   Faber. 

FOR  the  rest,  let  that  vain  struggle  to  read 
the  mystery  of  the  Infinite  cease  to  harass 
us.  It  is  a  mystery  which,  through  all 
ages,  we  shall  only  read  here  a  line  of,  there 
another  line  of.  Do  we  not  already  know  that 
the  name  of  the  Infinite  is  Good,  is  God? 
Here  on  earth  we  are  as  soldiers,  fighting  in  a 
foreign  land,  that  understand  not  the  plan  of  the 
campaign,  and  have  no  need  to  understand  it ; 
seeing  well  what  is  at  our  hand  to  be  done. 
Let  us  do  it  like  soldiers,  with  submission,  with 
courage,  with  a  heroic  jov.  Behind  us,  behind 
each  one  of  us,  lie  six  thousand  years  of  human 
effort,  human  conquest :  before  us  is  the  bound- 
less Time,  with  its  as  yet  uncreated  and  un- 
conquered  continents  and  Eldorados,  which  we, 
even  we,  have  to  conquer,  to  create  ;  and  from 
the  bbsom  of  Eternity  there  shine  for  us  celes- 
tial guiding  stars.  T.    Carlyle. 


December  22  357 

/  will  wait  upon  the  Lord^  that  hideth  His  fact 
from  the  house  of  "Jacob^  and  I  will  look  for  Him, 
—  IsA.  viii.  17. 


What  heart  can  comprehend  Thy  name. 

Or,  searching,  find  Thee  out  ? 
Who  art  within,  a  quickening  flame, 

A  presence  round  about. 

Yet  though  I  know  Thee  but  in  part, 

I  ask  not.  Lord,  for  more  : 
Enough  for  me  to  know  Thou  art, 

To  love  Thee  and  adore. 

F.    L.    HOSMER 


STAND  up,  O  heart !  andf^ield  not  one 
inch  of  thy  rightful  territory  to  the  usurp- 
ing intellect^)  Hold  fast  to  God  in  spite 
of  logic,  and  yet  not  quite  blindly.  Be  not  torn 
from  thy  grasp  upon  the  skirts  of  His  garments 
by  any  wrench  of  atheistic  hypothesis  that  seeks 
only  to  hurl  thee  into  utter  darkness ;  but  refuse 
not  to  let  thy  hands  be  gently  unclasped  by  that 
loving  and  pious  philosophy  that  seeks  to  draw 
thee  from  the  feet  of  God  only  to  place  thee  in 
His  bosom.  Trustfully,  though  tremblingly,  let 
go  the  robe,  and  thou  shalt  rest  upon  the  heart 
and  clasp  the  very  living  soul  of  God. 

James  Hinton. 


358  December  23 


Thou  therefore  endure  hardness^  as  a  good  soldier 
9f  "Jesus  Christ.  —  2  TiM.  ii,  3. 


Where  our  Captain  bids  us  go, 
'T  is  not  ours  to  murmur,  *♦  No." 

He  that  gives  the  sword  and  shield, 

Chooses  too  the  battle-field 
On  which  we  are  to  fight  the  foe. 

Anon. 


OF  nothing  may  we  be  more  sure  than  this  ; 
that,  if  we  cannot  sanctify  our  present 
lot,  we  could  sanctify  no  other.  Our 
heaven  and  our  Almighty  Father  are  there  or 
nowhere.  The  obstructions  of  that  lot  are 
given  for  us  to  heave  away  by  the  concurrent 
touch  of  a  holy  spirit,  and  labor  of  strenuous 
will ;  its  gloom,  for  us  to  tint  with  some  celes- 
tial light ;  its  mysteries  are  for  oui  worship  ; 
its  sorrows  for  our  trust ;  its  perils  for  our  cour- 
age ;  its  temptations  for  our  faith.  Soldiers  of 
the  cross,  it  is  not  for  us,  but  for  our  Leadei 
and  our  "Lord,  to  choose  the  field  ;  it  is  ours, 
taking  the  station  which  He  assigns,  to  make 
it  the  field  of  truth  and  honor,  though  it  be  the 
tield  of  death. 

J.  Martineau. 


December  24  359 

Giving  thanks  unto  the  Father,  which  hath  madt. 
us  meet  to  he  partakers  of  the  inheritance  of  the 
saints  in  light. —  CoL.  i.  12. 


The  souls  most  precious  to  us  here 

May  from  this  home  have  fled  j 
But  still  we  make  one  household  dear  ; 

One  Lord  is  still  our  head. 
Midst  cherubim  and  seraphim 

They  mind  their  Lord's  affairs  ; 
Oh  !  if  we  bring  our  work  to  Him 

Our  work  is  one  with  theirs. 

T.  H.  GiLL. 


WE  are  apt  to  feel  as  if  nothing  we  could 
do  on  earth  bears  a  relation  to  what 
the  good  are  doing  in  a  higher  world  ; 
but  it  is  not  so.  Heaven  and  earth  are  not  so 
far  apart.  Every  disinterested  act,  every  sacri- 
fice to  duty,  every  exertion  for  the  good  of  "  one 
of  the  least  of  Christ's  brethren,"  every  new 
insight  into  God's  works,  every  new  impulse 
given  to  the  love  of  truth  and  goodness,  associ- 
ates us  with  the  departed,  brings  us  nearer  to 
tiiem,  and  is  as  truly  heavenly  as  if  we  were 
acting,  not  on  earth,  but  in  heaven.  The 
spiritual  tie  between  us  and  the  departed  is  not 
felt  as  it  should  be.  Our  union  with  them  daily 
grows  stronger,  if  we  daily  make  progress  in 
what  they  are  growing  in. 

VVm.  E.   Channing, 


360  December  25 

That  ye^  being  rooted  and  grounded  in  love^  may 
he  able  to  comprehend  with  all  saints  what  is  the 
breadth.^  and  lengthy  and  depth^  and  height  ;  and 
to  know  the  love  of"  Christy  which  passeth  knowl- 
edge^ that  ye  might  be  filled  with  all  the  fulness 
of  God,  —  Eph.   iii.   17-19. 

V  O  LOVE  that  passeth  knowledge,  thee  I  need  ; 
/      Pour  in  the  heavenly  sunshine  ;  fill  my  heart  ; 
c  Scatter  the  cloud,  the  doubting,  and  the  dread,  — 
'      The  joy  unspeakable  to  me  impart. 

H.    BONAR. 

TO  examine  its  evidence  is  not  to  try  Chris- 
tianity }  to  admire  its  martyrs  is  not  to 
try  Christianity ;  to  compare  and  esti- 
mate its  teachers  is  not  to  try  Christianity ;  to 
attend  its  rites  and  services  with  more  than 
Mahometan  punctuality  is  not  to  try  or  know 
Christianity.  But  for  one  week,  for  one  day^ 
to  have  lived  in  the  pure  atmosphere  of  faith 
and  love  to  God,  of  tenderness  to  man  ;  to  have 
beheld  earth  annihilated,  and  heaven  opened  to 
the  prophetic  gaze  of  hope;  to  have  seen  evermore 
revealed  behind  the  complicated  troubles  of  this 
strange,  mysterious  life,  the  unchanged  smile  of 
an  eternal  Friend,  and  everything  that  is  difficult 
to  reason  solved  by  that  reposing  trust  which  is 
higher  and  better  than  reason,  —  to  have  known 
and  felt  this,  I  will  not  say  for  a  life^  but  for  a 
single  blessed  hour,  that^  indeed,  is  to  have  made 
experiment  of  Christianity. 

Wm.  Archer  Butler. 


December  26  361 

The  peace  of  God^  which  passeth  all  understand- 
ings shall  keep  your  hearts  and  minds  through 
Christ  Jesus.  — Phil.  iv.  7. 

Let  the  peace  of  God  rule  in  your  hearts.  —  » 
Col.  iii.  15. 

Drop  Thy  still  dews  of  quietness, 

Till  all  our  strivings  cease  ; 
Take  from  our  souls  the  strain  and  stress. 
And  let  our  ordered  lives  confess 

The  beauty  of  Thy  peace. 

J.   G.   Whittier. 

"  t  I  ^HESE  things  write  we  unto  you,  that 
I  your  joy  may  be  full,"  What  is  fulness 
of  joy  but  peace?  Joy  is  tumultuous 
only  when  it  is  not  full ;  but  peace  is  the  privi- 
lege of  those  who  are  "  filled  with  the  knowl- 
edge of  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  as  the  waters 
cover  the  sea."  "  Thou  wilt  keep  him  in  per- 
fect peace,  whose  mind  is  stayed  on  Thee, 
because  he  trusteth  in  Thee."  It  is  peace, 
springing  from  trust  and  innocence,  and  then 
overflowing  in  love  towards  all  around  him. 

J.    H.    Newman. 

Through  the  spirit  of  Divine  Love  let  the 
violent,  obstinate  powers  of  thy  nature  be 
quieted,  the  hardness  of  thy  affections  softened, 
and  thine  intractable  self-will  subdued  j  and  as 
often  as  anything  contrary  stirs  within  thee, 
immediately  sink  into  the  blessed  Ocean  of 
meekness  and  love.  G.  Tersteegen. 


362  December  27 

Wherefore  thou  art  no  more  a  servant^  but  a 
ton  i  and  if  a  son,  then  an  heir  of  God  through 
Christ.  —  Gal.  iv.  7. 

Not  by  the  terrors  of  a  slave 

God's  sons  perform  His  will, 
But  with  the  noblest  powers  they  have 

His  sweet  commands  fulfil. 

Isaac  Watts. 

OUR  thoughts,  good  or  bad,  are  not  in  our 
command,  but  every  one  of  us  has  at  all 
hours  duties  to  do^  and  these  he  can  do 
negligently,  like  a  slave,  or  faithfully,  like  a  true 
servant.  "  Do  the  duty  that  is  nearest  thee  "  — 
that  first,  and  that  w^ell ;  all  the  rest  will  disclose 
themselves  with  increasing  clearness,  and  make 
their  successive  demand.  Were  your  duties 
never  so  small,  I  advise  you,  set  yourself  with 
double  and  treble  energy  and  punctuality,  to  do 
them,  hour  after  hour,  day  after  day. 

T,  Carlyle. 

Whatever  we  are,  high  or  lowly,  learned  or 
unlearned,  married  or  single,  in  a  full  house  or 
alone,  charged  with  many  affairs  or  dwelling  in 
quietness,  we  have  our  daily  round  of  work, 
our  duties  of  affection,  obedience,  love,  mercy, 
industry,  and  the  like;  and  that  which  makes 
one  man  to  differ  from  another  is  not  so  much 
what  things  he  does,  as  his  manner  of  doing 
them.  H.  £.  Manning. 


December  28  2^2 

Now  the  God  of  peace  make  you  perfect  in  everv 
good  work^  to  do  His  will^  working  in  you  that 
which  is  well-pleasing  in  His  sighty  through  Jesus 
Christ. —  Heb.  xiii.  20,  21. 

Be  ready  to  every  good  work.  — TiTUS  iii.  I. 

So,  firm  in  steadfast  hope,  in  thought  secure. 
In  full  accord  to  all  Thy  world  of  joy. 

May  I  be  nerved  to  labors  high  and  pure. 

And  Thou  Thy  child  to  do  Thy  wprk  employ. 

J.  Sterling. 

BE  with  God  in  thy  outward  works,  refer 
them  to  Him,  offer  them  to  Him,  seek  to 
do  them  in  Him  and  for  Him,  and  He 
will  be  with  thee  in  them,  and  they  shall  not 
hinder,  but  rather  invite  His  presence  in  thy 
soul.  Seek  to  see  Him  in  all  things,  and  in  all 
things  He  will  come  nigh  to  thee. 

E.    B.    PUSEY. 

Nothing  less  than  the  majesty  of  God,  and 
the  powers  of  the  world  to  come,  can  maintain 
the  peace  and  sanctity  of  our  homes,  the  order 
and  serenity  of  our  minds,  the  spirit  of  patience 
and  tender  mercy  in  our  hearts.  Then  will 
even  the  merest  drudgery  of  duty  cease  to 
humble  us,  when  we  transfigure  it  by  the  glory 
of  our  own  spirit. 

J.  Martwjeau, 


364 


December  29 


Finally^  brethren^  whatsoever  things  are  true^ 
whatsoever  things  are  honesty  whatsoever  things 
are  just^  whatsoever  things  are  pure^  whatsoever 
things  are  lovely^  whatsoever  things  are  of  good 
report^  —  think  on  these  things.  —  Phil.  iv.  8. 

jfs  he  thinketh  in  his  hearty  so  is  he.  —  Pro  v. 
xxiii.  7. 

Still  may  Thy  sweet  mercy  spread 

A  shady  arm  above  my  head, 

About  my  paths  }  so  shall  I  find 

The  fair  centre  of  my  mind 

Thy  temple,  and  those  lovely  walls 

Bright  ever  with  a  beam  that  falls 

Fresh  from  the  pure  glance  of  Thine  eye. 

Lighting  to  eternity. 

R.   Crashaw. 


MAKE  yourselves  nests  of  pleasant 
thoughts.  None  of  us  yet  know,  for 
none  of  us  have  been  taught  in  early 
youth,  what  fairy  palaces  we  may  build  of 
beautiful  thought  —  proof  against  all  adversity. 
Bright  fancies,  satisfied  memories,  noble  his- 
tories, faithful  sayings,  treasure-houses  of  pre- 
cious and  restful  thoughts,  which  care  cannot 
disturb,  nor  pain  make  gloomy,  nor  poverty 
I  take  away  from  us,  —  houses  built  without 
)hands,  for  our  souls  to  live  in. 

_  J.     RUSKIN. 


December  30  36^ 

O  Lord^  I  know  that  the  way  of  man  is  not  in 
himself:  it  is  not  in  man  that  walketh  to  direct 
his  steps.  —  Jer.  x.  23. 


I  will  direct  all  his  ways.  —  IsA.  xlv.  13. 


Come,  Light  serene  and  still ! 
Our  darkened  spirits  fill 

With  thy  clear  day  : 
Guide  of  the  feeble  sight, 
Star  of  griefs  darkest  night, 
Reveal  the  path  of  right. 

Show  us  Thy  way. 

Robert  II.  of  France. 


THERE  had  been  solemn  appointed  seasons 
in  Anna's  life,  when  she  was  accustomed 
to  enter  upon  a  full  and  deliberate  survey 
of  her  business  in  this  world.  The  claims  of 
each  relationship,  and  the  results  of  each  occu- 
pation, were  then  examined  in  the  light  of 
eternity.  It  was  then,  too,  her  fervent  prayer 
to  be  enabled  to  discern  the  will  of  God  far 
more  perfectly,  not  only  in  the  indications  given 
of  it  for  her  guidance  through  each  day's  occu- 
pations, but  as  it  might  concern  duties  not  yet 
brought  home  to  her  conscience,  and  therefore 
unprovided  for  in  her  life. 

Sarah  W.  Stephen, 


;^66  December  31 

Forgetting  those  things  which  are  behind.,  and 
reaching  forth  unto  those  things  which  are  before., 
I  press  toward  the  mark  for  the  prize  of  the  high 
calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus.  —  Phil.  iii.  13, 14. 


Yet  I  argue  not 
Against  Heaven's  hand  or  will,  nor  bate  a  jot 
Of  heart  or  hope  ;  but  still  bear  up  and  steer 
Right  onward. 

J.    MlLTOM 


IT  is  not  by  regretting  what  is  irreparable  that 
true  work  is  to  be  done,  but  by  making  the 
best  of  what  we  are.  It  is  not  by  com- 
plaining that  we  have  not  the  right  tools,  but  by 
using  well  the  tools  we  have.  What  we  are, 
and  where  we  are,  is  God's  providential  arrange- 
ment, —  God's  doing,  though  it  may  be  man's 
misdoing;  and  the  manly  and  the  wise  way  is  to 
look  your  disadvantages  in  the  face,  and  see 
what  can  be  made  out  of  them.  Life,  like  war, 
is  a  series  of  mistakes,  and  he  is  not  the  best 
Christian  nor  the  best  general  who  makes  the 
fewest  false  steps.  He  is  the  best  who  winSi 
the  most  splendid  victories  by  the  retrieval  of  < 
mistakes.  Forget  mistakes;  organize  victory 
out  of  mistakesr 

F.  W.  RoBERTSOR 


INDEX  OF  AUTHORS 


FAGB 

Adorna,  St.  Catharine  (1447-1510) 285 

Anonymous 116,143,235,254,327 

Antoninus,  Marcus  Aurelius  (121-180)  ^5,  34,  89, 118, 

161,  174,  177,  206,  274,  278 

Arnold,  Rev.  Thomas  (1795-1842) 228 

Augustine,  St.  (354-430) 27,  166 

Basil,  Coptic  Liturgy  of  St.  (about  370)    .    •    •    351 

Barnes,  Rev.  Albert  (1798-1870) 127 

]5oETHius  (about  470-524)       326 

Boston,  Rev.  Thomas  (1676-1732) 124 

Bront]^,  Charlotte  (Mrs.  Nicholls)  (1816-1855)  .  277 
Brooke,  Rev.  Stopford  Augustus  (b.  1832) .  .  90,  207 
Brooks,  Bishop  Phillips  (1835-1893)  5,  86, 158,  211,  314 
Brown,  Rev.  James  Baldwin  (1820-1884)      ...    291 

Browne,  Sir  Thomas  (1605-1682) 43 

Bushnell,  Rev.  Horace  (1802-1876) 302 

Butler,  Bishop  Joseph  (1692-1752)  ....  22,146 
Butler,  Rev.  William  Archer  (1814-1848)  .  .  107,360 
Buxton,  Charles  (1822-187 1) 82,127 

Carlyle,  Thomas  (1795-1880)    50, 132, 220, 275, 293, 313, 

316,339.343.353.356,362 
Carter,  Canon  Thomas  Thelluson  (b.  1808)  32,  i6q 
Cecil,  Rev.  Richard  ( 1 748-1810)      .    .13,147,148,298 


368  INDEX  OF  AUTHORS 

PAGl 

Channino,  Rev.  William  Ellf.ry  (1780-1842)    in,  163 

192,  222,  35g 
Charles,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Rundle)  (1827-1896)  8,  58, 

103,  152,269,280,336,341 
Clarke,  Rev.  James  Freeman  (1810-1888)  .  212,  258 
CoBBE,  Frances  Power  (b.  1822)  ....  82,  113,  137 
CoLLYER,  Rev.  Robert  (b.  1823) 65 

Dewey,  Rev.  Orville  (1794-1882)     .    .    .    88,178,216 

Edwards,  Rev.  Jonathan  (1703- 1 758) 123 

Eliot,  Rev.^Joseph  (d.  1694) 142 

Eliot,   George   (Marian    Evans   Cross)   (1819- 

1880) 38,  46,  80,  177,  263,  277,  288,  297 

Emerson,  Mary  Moody  ( 1 774-1863) 131 

Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo  (1803-1882)   20,46,91, 105, 122, 

148,  151,  155,  184,  206,  225,  293,  330 

Epictetus  (ist  and  2d  centuries  of  Christian  era)     .      44 

Erskine,  Thomas  (1788-1870) 313 

Faber,  Rev.  Frederick  William  (1815-1863)  32,94,97, 

146,  148,  160,  193,  239,  317,  340 

Fj^nelon,  Archbishop  Franqois  de  Salignac  de 

la  Mothe  (1651-1715)  41,42,55,80,81,84,97, 124, 135, 

149,  180,  193,  226,  233,  247.  257,  264,  279,  291,  331,  347 

Fichte,  Johann  Gottlieb  (1762-1814)   .    .    .    104,  353 

Fox,  George  (1624-1 690) no 

Gannett,  Rev.  William  Channing  (b.  1840)  .  .  289 
Gelasian  Sacramentary,  fm///^'^  492  .  .  .  217,246 
Germanica,  Theologia,  written  about  1350     .      254,  284 

Gold  Dust, /1/3.  1880 55. '47 

Greaves,  James  Pierrepoi.nt  (1777-1842)     21,  196,  200, 

227,  239,  266,  282,  318 


PROSE  SELECTIONS  369 

rAGB 

Grou,  PiRE  Jean  Nicolas  (1731-1803)    12,  24,40,  47,94, 

121,  136,  167,  226,  232,  256 
GuYON,  Madame  Jeanne  Marie  BouvitRE  de  la 
MoTHE  (1648-1717)  .    .    .    119,141,188,196,202.319 

Hale,  Rev.  Edward  Evereti'  (b.  1822)  ^  .    .    .    .       8 

Hall,  Bishop  Joseph  (1574-1656) 309 

Havergal,  Frances  Ridley  (1836-1879)    14,  51,  94,  114, 

145,  322,  349 

Hill,  Rev.  Rowland  (1744-1833)       201 

HiNTON,  James  (1822-1875)    •    •      '94,  250,  271,  318,  357 

Hughes,  Thomas  (1823-1896) 96,  164 

Humboldt,  Karl  Wilhelm  von  (1767-1835)      132,  220, 

233 
Huntington,  Rev.  William  Reed  (b.  1838)     .    .    348 

Jacobi.Friedrich  Heinrich  (1743-1819)  .  ...  91 
Juliana,  Mother,  written  1373 260 

Keary,  Annie  (1825-1879)      .    .         .      16,117,224,282 

Keble,  Rev.  John  {1792-1866) 33,292 

Kelty,  Mary  Ann  (1789-1873)  .  34,  62,  140,  172,  278 
Kempis,  Thomas  A  (1380-1471)  42,  44,  135,  161,  166,  188 
King,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Taber  (1820-1856)  .  .  .  203 
Kingsley,  Rev.  Charles  (1819-1875)     .    .    .     151,  181 

Law,  Rev.  William  (1686-1761)     7,17,59,69,79,92,  109, 

173,  230,  238,  270,  272,  281,  292,  304,  310,  323 

Leighton,  Archbishop  Robert  (1611-1684)     61,  74,  98, 

171,189,  208,  231,311,345 
Longfellow,  Rev.  Samuel  (1819-1892)  ....  219 
I-UTHER,  Dr.  Martin  (1483-1546)      .    .  84,  140,  155,  311 

Macdonald,^George  (b.  1824)  2,  61,  68,  79, 128,  129,  162, 

-loa,  204,  216,  238,  355 


370  INDEX  OF  AUTHORS 

rAGR 

Manning,  Cardinal  Henry  Edward  (1808-1892)      10, 

18,39,  52,76,98,  loi,  109, 126, 130, 150, 160, 170, 182, 187, 

229,  240,  252,  253,  296,  306,  332,  341,  346,  351,  362 

Martineau,  Rev.  James  ( 1805-1900)     1,6,  54, 63, 95,  102, 

176,  186,  210,  241,  251,  290,  315,  358,  363 

Master,  The  Divine,///^.  ff(5<w/ 1850 255 

Maurice,  Rev,  Frederick  Denison   (1805-1872)     28, 

37.  139 
Melanchthon,  Dr.  Philip  (1497-1560)  ....  74 
Merriam,  Rev.  George  Spring  (b.  1843)  78, 115, 202, 244, 

268 

Miller,  Rev.  James  Russell  (b.  1840) 227 

Molinos,  Rev.  Miguel  de  (1627-1696)    133, 172, 197,  239, 

286,  301,  334,  345 

More,  Rev.  Henry  (1614-1687) 21,83 

MouNTFORD,  Rev.  William  (1816-1885)    ....    171 

Newman,  Cardinal  John  Henry  (1801-1890)   5,  38,  56, 
70,  100,  189,  250,  253,  273,  361 

Penington,  Isaac  (1617-1679)    49,  75,  116,  125,  133, 163, 
186,  196,  236,  245,  299,  320,  327,  328,  338,  344 

Plutarch  (about  45-120) 159 

Prentiss,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (1818-1878)  .....    264 

Pusey,  Rev.  Edward  Bouvkrie  (1800-1882)  4,  11, 15,  22, 

45,  48,  67,  77,  85,  93,  95,  106, 144,  168,  183,  185,  199,217. 

225,  250,  318,  322,  327,  338,  342,  363 

Renty,  Gaston  Jean  Baptists,  Baron  de  (1611- 

1648) 335 

Richter,  Jean  Paul  Friedrich  (1763-1825)    .    .    269 

Robbins,  Rev.  Samuel  Dowse  (1812-1884)    ...      72 

Robertson,  Rev.  Frederick  William  (1816-1853)     13, 

36.  S3.  62,  96,  112,  156,  190,  248,  259,  267^,276,  297,  308, 

366 


PROSE  SELECTIONS  37 1 

PAGB 

Rogers,  Mrs.  Hester  Ann  (1756-1794)  ....  352 
RossErn,  Christina  Georgina  (1830-1894)  23,  166,213 
RusKiN,  John  (1819-1900)    6,  9,  20,  25,  loi,  246,  255,  257, 

308,  364 
Rutherford,  Rev.  Samuel  {1600-1661) .     25,49, 143,340 

Sales,  St.  Francis  de  (1567-1622)  29,57,66,  79, 108, 146, 
175,  183,  214,  215,  243,  249,  287,  319,  347 

SCHIMMELPENNINCK,     MrS.     MARY     AnNE     (1778- 

1856) 73,118,122,283 

ScupoLi,  Father  Lorenzo  (1530-1610)  153,  214,  250,  309 

Sewell,  Elizabeth  Missing  (b.  181 5) 165 

Shaw,  Rev.  Samuel  (1635-1691)       288 

SiBBES,  Rev.  Richard  (1577-1635)  ....      141,340 

Smiley,  Sarah  Y.,pub.  1876 267 

Smith,  Mrs.  Hannah  Whitall,  pub.  1875       3'»  1^^^'})'> 

99,  169,  184,  195,  209,  237,  295,  301,  312,  333 

Smith,  Rev.  John  {1618-1652)  .    .    60,64,154,218,329 

Spinoza,  Benedict  (1632-1677) 326 

Stanley,  Dean  Arthur  Penrhyn  (1815-1882)       138, 

157,  191,  242,  294 
Stephen,  Sarah  W.  (1815-1895)  .  77,  165,  200,  365 
Stowe,  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  (181 2-1896)    298,  307, 

324 
Swedenborg,  Emanuel  (1688-1772)  .  .  .  200, 272 
Swetchine,  Madame  Anne  Sophie  (1782-1857)    148, 

287 

Tauler,  Rev.  John  (1290-1361)    26,  30,  70,  120,  223,  261, 

285,  303 

Taylor,  Bishop  Jeremy  (1613-1667)    .     3,  10,  133,326 

Tersteegen,  Gerhard  (1697-1769)  169, 189, 236, 266, 304, 

321,  361 

Thom,  Rev.  John  Hamilton  (1808-1894)  35,87,129, 
134.  179-  205,  221,  262,  300,  317.  328,  336,  337,  343 


372  INDEX  OF  AUTHORS 

PACB 

Thorold,  Bishop  Anthony  Wilson  (1825-1895)  107 
Thoreau,  Henry  David  (1817-1862)  .  .  156,  170,  206 
Tryon,  Thomas  (1634-1703) 325,342 

Union,  Christian 305 

Upham,  Rev.  Thomas  Cogswell  (1797-1872)  7, 102, 119, 

198,  248,  282,  313,  324,  350 

Ware,  Rev.  Henry,  Jr.  (1794-1843) 276 

Wesley,  Rev.  John  (i 703-1 791) 288 

Whitney,  Mrs.  Adeline  D.  T.  (b.  1824)  .  265,  354 
Wilkinson,  Bishop  George  Howard  (b.  1833)    .    234 

Wilson,  Bishop  Thomas  (1663-1755) 335 

Woman,  A  Poor  Methodist  (i8th  century)      .    .      19 

Woods,  Margaret,  written  i-j-jx 334 

WooLMAN,  John  (1 720-1772)    .    .     25,73,201,263,312 


POETICAL  SELECTIONS  373 


INDEX  OF  AUTHORS 


poetical  Selection 

PACK 

Ages,  Hymns  of  the 114 

Ambrose,  St.  (340-397) 324 

Anonymous    13,  34,  49,  52,  63,  70,  75,  85,  118,  121,  140, 

160,  161, 181,  193,  200,  201,  217,  243,  244,  257,  262,  265, 

267,  271,  287,  293,  307,  316,  318,  331,  332,  358 

Anstice,  Joseph  (1808-1836) 45 

Apostolica,  Lyra 339 

Arnold,  Matthew  (1822-1888) 25 

AuBER,  Harriet  (1773-1862) 143 

Austin,  John  (1613-1669) 130 

Barr,  Lillie  E 248 

Barry,  Henry  H 31 

BoNAR,  Rev.  Horatius  {1808-1889)    44,83,229,333,360 

BoRTHwicK,  Jane  (b.  1813) 170,  341 

Browne,  Rev.  Simon  (1680-1732) 200 

Browning,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Barrett  (1809-1861)    131, 

138,  261 

Browning,  S.  G 54,  145 

Bryant,  William  Cullen  (1794-1878)     ....    125 
Burrs,  Mrs,  Mary  Frances  (b.  1836) 58 

C,  H.  W 303 

Carlyle,  Thomas  (1795-1880) 129 


374  INDEX  OF  AUTHORS 

PAGE 

Catholica,  Lyra      218 

Chadwick,  Rev.  John  White  (b.  1840)  ....  153 
Charles,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  (Rundle)  (1827-1896)  .  115 
Clarke,  Rev.  James  Freeman  (1810-1888)  ...  9 
Coleridge,  Samuel  Taylor  (1772-1834)       ...      92 

CooLiDGE,  Susan 7.  53.  183,  296 

CoRNEiLLE,  Pierre  (1606-1684) 320 

CoTTERiLL,  Mrs.  Jane  (1790-1825) 122 

Cowper,  William  (1731-1800)  ....  10,  305,  345 
Craik,  Mrs.  Dinah  Maria  (Mulock)  (1826-1887)  211 
Crashaw,  Rev.  Richard  (about  1610-1650)  .  .  364 
Crewdson,  Mrs.  Jane  (1809-1863) 74 

Davison,  Francis  (i  575-1618) 99 

Dessler,  Wolfgang  Christoph  (1660-1722)  231,321 
Doddridge,  Rev.  Philip  (1702-1751)  .  2,41,  154,342 
Dwight,  John  Sullivan  (1813-1893) 350 

Edmeston,  James  (1791-1867) 336 

Eliot,  George    (Marian    Evans    Cross)   (1819- 

1880) 86 

Elliott,  Charlotte  (1789-1871) 136 

Emerson,  Ralph  Waldo  (1803-1882)     .    .    ,     128,151, 

194,  220 

Evans,  Rev.  Albert  Eubule  (1868) 226 

Faber,  Rev.  Frederick  William  (1815-1863)    27,106, 
113,  178,  180,  184,  222,  292,  340,  356 

Farningham,  Marianne      169 

Flemming,  Paul  (1609-1640)  ....  133.176,279 
Francke,  Rev.  August  Hermann  (1663-1727)     .    335 

Gannett,  Rev.  William  Channing  (b.  1840)  .    .  152 

Gaskell,  Rev.  William  (1805-1884) 132 

Gedicke,  Rev.  Lampertus  (1683-1735)     .    .    .    .^  192 

Gellert,  Christian  Furchtkgott  (171 5-1769)    .*  280 


POETICAL  SELECTIONS  375 

PAGB 

Gerhardt,  Rev.  Paul  (1606-1676)  72,  187,  215,  216,  223, 

302,309,311,344.347 

German,  From  the 42,  48,  141 

Gill,  Thomas  Hornblower  (b.  1819)  .    .     12,  112,359 
Gladden,  Rev.  Washington  (b.  1836)     ....      36 
Goethe,  Johann  Wolfgang  von  (1749-1832)     .      23 
GUYON,  Madame  Jeanne  Marie  Bouvi4;re  de  la 
Mothe  (1648-1717) 348 

Hagenbach,  Karl  Rudolph  (1801-1874)      ...    147 

Hall,  Mrs.  Louisa  Jane  (1802-1892) 343 

Hamilton,  Anna  E.  {1846-1876) 33 

Havergal,  Frances  Ridley  (1836-1879)     18,  108,  iio, 

163,  177,  254,  29s,  355 

Haweis,  Rev.  Thomas  (1732-1820) 212 

Heber,  Bishop  Reginald  (1783-1826)  ....  61 
Herbert,  Rev.  George  (1593-1632)  .  62,69,76,  loi 
Higginson,  Thomas  Wentworth  (b.  1823)  .  .  204 
Holmes,  Oliver  Wendell  {1809-1894)  ....  i 
Hosmer,  Rev.  Frederick  Lucian  (b.  1840).  .  .  357 
Howells,  William  Dean  (b.  1837) 94 

Ingelow^,  Jean  (1820-1897) 50,  158,  168 

Intelligencer,  Christian 186,  263 

Irons,  Rev.  William  Josiah  (1812-1883)     .    .    .    328 

;-C.E 4 

Johnson,  Rev.  Samuel  (1822-1882)  .    .  29,  in,  164,  284 

Keble,  Rev.  John  (1792-1866)  6, 16,  39,  56,60, 79,  82,  96, 

105,  126,  146,  148,  191,  208,  250,  269,  286 

Ken,  Bishop  Thomas  (1637-1711)     ....     308,322 

Kimball,  Harriet  McEwen  (b.  1834)  .    .    95,  258,  351 

Lange,  Rev.  Joachim  (1670-1744)  ....  20,  205,  235 
Larcom,  Lucy  (1824-1893) 275,  297 


376  INDEX  OF  AUTJ/OA'S 

PAGB 

Latin  MSS.  of  15TH  Century 15 

IxjNGFELLow,  Rev.  Samuel  (181 9-1 892)  5,71,97, 198,227, 

282 
Lowell,  James  Russell  (1819-1891)     ,    .    .     190,  221 

Luther,  Hymns  from  the  Land  of 107 

Lyte,  Rev.  Henry  Francis  (1793-1847)  90,  142,  175,  241 

Militant,  Hymns  of  the  Church 325 

Milton,  John  (1608-1674) 149,366 

Montgomery,  James  (1771-1854) 273 

More,  Hannah  (1745-1833) 127 

More,  Rev.  Henry  (1614-1687) 64 

Neale,  Rev.  John  Mason  (1818-1866)      ....    319 

Neumark,  Georg  (1621-1681) 37,124 

Newman,  Cardinal  John  Henry  (1801-1890)    40,  117, 

214,  232,  253,  276 
Newton,  Adelaide  Leaper  {1824-1854)  ....  11 
Newton,  Rev.  John  (1725-1807) 28,  116 

Packard,  Caroline  M 66 

Parsons,  Thomas  William  (1819-1892)  ....  199 
Procter,  Adelaide  Anne  (1825-1864)  .  .  26,  188,  277 
Puchta,  Rev.  Chr.  Rudolph  Heinrich  ( 1808-1858)  1 73 
Pythagoras  (570-504  b.  c.) 77 

QuARLES,  John  (1624-1665) .    346 

Richter,  Christian  Friedrich  {1676-1711)      .    .  263 

Robert  II.  of  France  (972-1031) 365 

Rodigast,  Samuel  (1649-1708) 259 

RosENROTH,  Christian  Knorr  von  (1636-1689)     .  268 

Rothe,  Rev.  Johann  Andreas  (1688-1758)  ...  167 

RuTiLius,  Rev.  Martin  (155^1618) 281 


POETICAL  SELECTIONS  377 

PAGB 

Saxby,  Mrs.  Jane  Euphemia  (b.  1811)      ....       3 

SCHEFFLER,     ReV.     JoHANN     (ANGELUS     SiLESIUS) 

(1624-1677)    .....      93 

Schiller,  Friedrich  von  (1759-1805)      ....    225 
ScHMOLCK,  Rev.  Benjamin  (1672-1737)      .    .     301,  326 

Scudder,  Eliza  (1821-1896) 30,88,246,315 

Sharpe's  Magazine 32 

Shipton,  Anna  (1869) 156,291 

Spirit,  Hymns  of  the 120,  228 

Spitta,  Rev.  Carl  Johann  Philip?  (1801-1859)      89, 

283,  310 
Sterling,  Rev.  John  (1806-1844)  .  .  .  .  55,260,363 
Stowe,  Mrs.  Harriet  Beecher  (1812-1896)  .  73,  87 
Sutton,  Henry  Septimus, />«*.  1854     .    .    51,  213,  247 

T-.B 354 

Tennyson,  Alfred,  Lord  (1810-1892) 272 

Tersteegen,  Gerhard  (1697-1769)    19,  46,  179,  230,  270, 

289,312,323,352 
ToPLADY,  Rev.  Augustus  Montague  (1740-1778)  .    162 
Trench,  Archbishop  Richard  Chevenix  (1807- 
1886) 206,  219,  252,  256,  285,  290 

Upham,  Rev.  Thomas  Cogswell  (1799-1872)     .    .      98 
Vaughan,  Henry  (1621-1695) 21,  209 

W.,  E 207 

Waring,  Anna  L^titia  (b.  1820)  8, 14,  24, 43,47,  80, 137, 

165,  171,  182,  195,  224,  236,  245,  298,  329,  334 

Warner,  Anna  Bartlett  (b.  1820)  ...     65,  249,  349 

Watts,  Rev.  Isaac  (167 4-1748)    84, 102, 172, 239, 338,362 

Weissel,  Rev.  Georg  (i 590-1635) 197 

Wesley,  Rev.  Charles  ( 1708-1788)  35,  57, 68,  78. 100, 103. 

"9.  "3,  13s,  139,  185,  189,  196,  237,  238,  240,  255,  264, 

278,  288.  294,  304,  306,  313,  327 


378  INDEX  OF  AUTHORS 

PAGB 

Whitney,  Mrs.  Adeline  D.  T.  (b.  1824)  ....    314 

Whittier,  John  Greenleaf  (1807-1892)     17,  22,  59,  67, 

81,  109,  144,  150,  157,  166,  2X0,  233,  234,  251,  299,  300 

330.  337.  361 
Williams,  Rev.  Isaac  (1802-1865)      .    .    .134,  155,  353 

Williams,  Sarah  (d.  1868) 174,202,242 

Winckler,  Rev.  Johann  Joseph  (1670-1722)  .  .  104 
Wordsworth,  William  (1770-1850)  38,91,  159,  266,  317 
WoTTON,  Sir  Henry  (1568-1639) 274 


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